Liverpool's former £18m target hailed as 'signing of the season' after Crystal Palace win

Crystal Palace earned a shock victory at Anfield on Sunday and they were led by a star performance from a former Liverpool target.

A single goal from Eberechi Eze was enough to dent Liverpool’s title hopes just a few days after Atalanta romped to a three-goal victory as their miserable week was compounded with back-to-back defeats for the first time since March 2023. There were strong individual performances from Oliver Glasner’s side that included Eze, Tyrick Mitchell and Joachim Andersen but midfielder Adam Wharton caught the eye in midfield.

Signed from Blackburn for £18m in January, the 20-year-old produced another eye-catching and composed performance at one of the toughest away grounds in the league. Famed commentator Ian Drake hailed as him as one of the ‘signings of the season’ despite the fact he’s made just 10 appearances for the Eagles so far - and he continued his strong form against Liverpool.

His figures reflected that as well; he managed a 87% pass accuracy, created one chance, won eight of his 10 duels, managed three clearances and made six tackles in an all-action performance. While those numbers tell a story, it’s clear to see that he possesses an old head on young shoulders as he calmly managed to distribute the ball time and time again and he was always available to take the ball in tight areas.

Previously at Blackburn, he caught the eye after 51 appearances for the first team and Liverpool were among a host of clubs all monitoring the midfielder. 90min reported in November that Liverpool as well as Tottenham, Brighton & Hove Albion, Everton, Manchester United and Newcastle United were all interested in a move but it was Palace who secured him for as little as £18m a few months ago. It looks like they will be able to recoup a significantly higher fee in the coming years if he continues his swift development.