Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton is set for a summer transfer. Liverpool have registered interest in the England midfielder, but Manchester United are also in pursuit.
It is set to be a busy summer from a Reds perspective, as the gaping wounds from this season will need to be addressed quickly.
Indeed, at the current time of writing, Liverpool has lost a bruising 18 games all season long, with the 4-0 aggregate defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday night extinguishing any faint hopes that silverware will be heading to Anfield this campaign.
Another summer of heavy spending could soon be on the cards; therefore, to try and right the wrongs of this underwhelming campaign.
But, with Slot admitting in recent days that the reigning Premier League champions will ikely need to sell, to bump up their summer transfer budget, it will be intriguing to see what plays out in the off-season.
As is typical for the summer window, Liverpool’s global standing has them linked with several elite talents. The latest name at the top of their list is Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, a player currently attracting serious attention from across the Premier League
Liverpool enter race for £80m star
According to a brand-new transfer report from TalkSPORT, Liverpool are now deep in the race to try and land Palace ace Adam Wharton, when the rampant transfer window swings back open.
TalkSPORT are reporting that Wharton is expected to leave Selhurst Park behind in the summer, after transforming himself into an England regular at the Eagles, off the back of many a battling display in the Premier League.
An £80m price tag hangs above the 22-year-old’s head, but that might not put off the Reds, who could offload the likes of Curtis Jones and Alexis Mac Allister to leave some midfield room for Wharton to join.
Jones is reportedly on Inter Milan’s shopping list, as per the report, with uncertainty also in the air over the Argentine’s long-term future on Merseyside, as he enters into the final two years of his current deal.
Sporting director Richard Hughes and FSG’s head of football Michael Edwards have now been tasked with freshening up things centrally, to give the likes of Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai competition, and it appears as if Wharton is their chosen target.
The Red Devils are also noted as being keen, though, so there will be a tussle on their hands to land the energetic number 20.
But it might prove to be a worthwhile fight to win, as Wharton looks more than ready for a jump up in quality to Anfield.
With Wataru Endo also entering the final year of his contract and starlet Trey Nyoni earmarked for a developmental loan, Liverpool’s midfield evolution is reaching a tipping point.
While Crystal Palace remain desperate to retain Adam Wharton demanding a fee that reflects his prized possession status the player’s own ambition could force their hand.
Despite a potential Europa Conference League trophy on the horizon, Palace’s lackluster bottom-half Premier League finish may see Wharton push for a move to a Champions League heavyweight
Wharton could be just what Liverpool needs
The summer ahead does look as if it will be a period of time characterized by a lot of change on Merseyside.
At only 22 years of age, Wharton could be in the running to be a long-term option in the middle of the park, as he has rivalled the explosive numbers of both Gravenberch and Szoboszlai this season, for Oliver Glasner’s up-and-down outfit.
Midfield Comparison: 2025/26 Premier League Season:
| Stat (per 90/total) | Wharton | Gravenberch | Szoboszlai |
| Appearances (starts) | 28 (27) | 30 (29) | 30 (30) |
| Minutes played | 2205 mins | 2567 mins | 2693 mins |
| Goals | 0 | 4 | 5 |
| Assists | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| Pass completion % | 81% | 90% | 90% |
| Chances created | 36 | 24 | 60 |
| Successful tackles | 28 | 24 | 28 |
| Interceptions | 34 | 41 | 27 |
| Recoveries | 108 | 117 | 165 |
| Yellow/red cards | 5 / 1 | 5 / 0 | 7 / 1 |
While the energetic Englishman is some way off being as productive as both the Dutchman and the free-kick specialist in terms of goals and assist output, it’s clear from the table above that he can go on to be world-class, under the right guidance at Anfield, with some Premier League numbers to feast your eyes on.
With several senior England caps under his belt, too, it does feel as if the 22-year-old is worthy of a big move, now, to really prove himself.
That could soon come in the form of a weighty £80m switch to Merseyside, although TalkSPORT does insist that Michael Carrick’s men are firmly in the battle for Wharton’s services, as well, as they look for long-term successors to the departing Casemiro.
With Palace noted as being very keen to keep Wharton situated at Selhurst Park, too, this has all the makings of being an enthralling transfer saga to keep tabs on, with Liverpool keeping everything crossed they can win their desired man.
