Liverpool have moved to the front of the queue for Adam Wharton, with the Crystal Palace midfielder widely expected to leave Selhurst Park this summer. The 22-year-old wants Champions League football, Palace know they can't hold him back forever, and Liverpool need midfield reinforcements after Salah's departure.
Wharton's rise over the past 18 months has been genuinely startling. He was a largely unknown Championship player before Oliver Glasner took a chance on him, and now he's England's first-choice holding midfielder and wanted by five or six of Europe's top clubs. Real Madrid were even offered the chance to sign him. The fact that Liverpool are considered favourites says a lot about how aggressively they've moved.
Crystal Palace are asking for £80 million. That's a significant fee for a player who hasn't yet played European football, but the market values England internationals at a premium and Wharton's profile — young, technically excellent, positionally sharp — puts him in a bracket where clubs don't push back too hard on big numbers.
Manchester United are also in the picture. They've been tracking Wharton for months and United's midfield overhaul under Ruben Amorim could take him in several different directions. United want Tonali as the first-choice rebuild target, but if that deal collapses, Wharton becomes plan B very quickly.
Palace are under no contractual pressure to sell — Wharton is tied down until 2029 — but a player publicly signalling he wants to leave changes the dynamic. Clubs rarely keep players happy for long once that line has been crossed.
Why Liverpool Are Favourites
Liverpool's pull right now is strong. Arne Slot's system is attractive, they're playing Champions League football next season, and the club has a track record of developing midfielders into world-class players. Wharton would walk straight into the first team and become central to how they play. For an ambitious 22-year-old, that's a compelling pitch.
What Palace Lose
Wharton is the engine of this Crystal Palace side. His reading of the game, his range of passing, his ability to screen the back four — it all flows through him. Replacing that quality in one window would be a serious challenge, and Palace will make whoever wants him pay every penny of that £80 million asking price.
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