‘Serious interest’ - Liverpool learn £80m price of gem as they aim to beat Man Utd to statement signing
Liverpool are interested in an up and coming England international
Highly-rated Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton is said to be generating ‘serious interest’ ahead of the summer with Liverpool one of the sides reportedly eyeing the player. However, both Manchester United and Manchester City are set to provide competition for his signature.
The Reds are keen to bolster their central midfield options for next season as they look to assemble a team that can win back-to-back Premier League titles while going even further in Europe after an incredible season in Arne Slot’s first term in charge.
TEAMtalk reports the Reds have made defensive midfield a position of priority to strengthen despite the impressive performances of Ryan Gravenberch, who has been moved to a deeper role in his second season at Anfield where has played behind Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister.
Adam Wharton’s career so far
Liverpool are said to have their sights set on Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton, who they feel is capable of developing into one of the best central midfielders in Europe.
Wharton came through the academy at Blackburn Rovers, following the footsteps of his older brother Scott, and became a first team regular during the 2022/23 season when he was just 19-years-old.
He helped the Riversiders record a seventh place finish under Jon Dahl Tommason in his first season and became an even more important player the following campaign before joining Crystal Palace in January 2024 for £18m, rising to £22m in a deal that already looks like a bargain for the Eagles.
Wharton started all Crystal Palace's final 15 league fixtures and helped inspire the team to a top half finish and their best of the Premier League era. He was even included in the England squad for Euro 2024 but despite performing well in a friendly win over Bosnia was not given a single minute of the tournament.
He missed a big chunk of this season with injury as the club experienced a slow start, but has thrived in recent months and has played a pivotal role in helping the Eagles reach the FA Cup final after recording a 3-0 win over Aston Villa.
Liverpool learn price tag for Adam Wharton
Liverpool are determined to beat Manchester United to the signature of Adam Wharton as they aim to build a team that can continue to dominate English football for the foreseeable future.
Wharton is renowned for his immense composure in possession, his positional sense, reading of the game and his immense stamina to dictate proceedings in the middle of the park. He already plays with a maturity beyond his years and is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after young players in the league.
However, prising the 21-year-old away from Selhurst Park looks set to be a tricky task, with TEAMtalk claiming that the ex-Blackburn man is valued at around £80m.
Palace will point to the recent deals for other midfielders like Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo, who were sold for £105m and £115m respectively, when placing a valuation on Wharton. While Liverpool have already put forward big bids in the region of £100m for Caicedo and £60m for Lavia as recently as 2023.