Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has urged the Reds’ recruitment team to go after the services of Elliot Anderson in the summer, over a move for Adam Wharton, as the Merseyside giants draft up a summer shopping list.
With just two matches left to play in the Premier League season, the cracks in the Liverpool squad have become impossible to ignore. It is now glaringly obvious that the Reds’ roster requires a significant overhaul during the off-season if they are to reclaim their spot at the top of the mountain.
Under Arne Slot, the squad has shown flashes of brilliance, but the impending departure of icons like Mohamed Salah has sharpened the focus on the need for fresh blood.
The upcoming transfer window isn’t just about adding depth; it’s about a fundamental rebuild to ensure the new era at Anfield doesn’t stall before it truly begins.
Heading into this season, the hope would’ve been that Anfield titans would go on to clinch back-to-back Premier League triumphs, with a whopping £446m splashed out on new recruits to help Arne Slot try to achieve that unbelievable feat.
Unfortunately, despite the amount of cash lavishly spent, Liverpool are hanging onto the prospect of securing Champions League football as a success this campaign, with the flashy signings not immediately settling the world alight in their new location.
Ahead of another bumper transfer window, the reigning Premier League champions will surely be looking at enhancing their midfield personnel, with Alexis Mac Allister way off the pace this campaign, compared to his all-action role when Slot first entered the building.
Several names have been floating about when it comes to who Liverpool could sign in the midfield department, with Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton constantly being mentioned.
Alongside Wharton, Elliot Anderson has been mentioned non-stop, with the Nottingham Forest midfielder a firm fan favourite at the City Ground, having just scored the goal that ultimately kept the Tricky Trees from sinking to the Championship, when bagging this late equaliser against Newcastle United.
The England international will have his eye on a big move this summer, after securing Forest’s top-flight status, with former Reds midfielder, turned pundit, Danny Murphy urging Liverpool to go after Anderson’s signature, over landing Wharton.
Murphy’s argument for going after Anderson
Speaking with Aceodds.com recently, the 249-time Liverpool midfielder put forward his compelling argument as to why Slot and Co. should be targeting the Forest number eight over his Palace counterpart.
He said: “If I were to choose one, I would choose Elliot Anderson. It’s not because I don’t like Wharton, I think he’s a techncially gifted footballer, but I think Anderson’s athleticism and defensive work is better.
“He’s more dynamic and he can play more roles. He can play as an eight, he can play as a six.
“I think he ticks a lot of boxes in what you need from a midfielder, and now of course he’d like to add a few more goals and assists to his game to be more complete, but I think he’d find himslelf doing that in a better team.
He’d suit the way Liverpool want to play, I think.”
Elliot Anderson vs Adam Wharton – Premier League Stats 25/26:
| Metric | Anderson | Wharton |
| Games | 36 | 32 |
| Minutes played | 3179 mins | 2455 mins |
| Goals scored | 4 | 0 |
| Assists | 2 | 5 |
| Chances created | 49 | 40 |
| Attempted passes | 2250 | 1179 |
| Pass accuracy % | 85.2% | 79.13% |
| Tackles made | 97 | 68 |
| Ground duels won | 217 | 112 |
| Clearances | 46 | 41 |
| Interceptions | 36 | 24 |
The argument that Anderson is more of a tank when it comes to being athletic and energetic is evident when looking at the table above, with the 23-year-old trumping Wharton in many of their respective defensive statistics.
Winning 217 ground duels all season long also means he leaves Mac Allister in his dust, who has only won 89, with a spot in the Liverpool holding midfield ranks easily opening up for the one-time Newcastle midfielder, if a move were to accelerate into motion.
It won’t be easy winning his signature, however, with Anderson’s price-tag noted as being a very high £100m, amid interest in his services from the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City.
Is Anderson’s signature attainable?
Off the back of such a disappointing second season under Slot, it might not be viewed as the most realistic capture, with Anderson surely favouring a switch to Old Trafford or the Etihad, at this moment in time, over Anfield.
Moreover, would Liverpool be prepared to drop £100m on a player, after being burnt by their excessive spending last summer?
With former Red Danny Murphy highlighting him as the ideal solution to Liverpool’s central lethargy, the Anfield board may be forced to dig deep once again.
To inject much-needed energy and control into the heart of the pitch, the Reds appear increasingly ready to put their money where their mouth is to secure the signature of the coveted 23-year-old.
