Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, as per the Daily Mail.
Since moving to Selhurst Park from Blackburn Rovers, the 21-year-old has established himself as one of the most sought-after young players in the Premier League.
The youngster guided the Eagles to win the FA Cup last term, and this was the South London club’s first-ever major trophy. Moreover, he helped his side win the Community Shield by defeating Liverpool at the beginning of this season.
Wharton has even helped Crystal Palace enjoy a stellar start to this season, accumulating 12 points from seven Premier League games and sitting only two points behind fourth-placed AFC Bournemouth.
Now, the Daily Mail report that Liverpool ‘like’ Wharton after being impressed by his recent eye-catching performances and could make a concrete approach to secure his services next year.
However, purchasing the Englishman won’t be straightforward for the Reds as other Premier League clubs are also in this race, and Crystal Palace have no intention of letting him leave just yet.
Although Wharton still has four years left in his current contract, Oliver Glasner’s side are planning to hand him a fresh deal to boost his selling price.
Wharton to Liverpool
Arne Slot currently has Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Curtis Jones, and Dominik Szoboszlai as options to deploy in the midfield position. Gravenberch and Mac Allister were instrumental in Liverpool’s league triumph last term, but the Argentinian has had a slow start to this season.
Wataru Endo is another option Slot currently has for the engine room, but the Dutch boss hasn’t given the Japanese international much game time since the start of last season.
So, signing a new midfielder would be the right decision for Liverpool, and Wharton, valued at around £39m by Transfermarkt, would be a shrewd acquisition should they purchase him.
The Crystal Palace star is a technically gifted deep-lying playmaker but is also efficient in the box-to-box role. He has the ability to play line-breaking passes and is also good at defensive contributions.
It is going to be interesting to see whether the Merseyside club eventually manage to lure him away from Selhurst Park in January or next summer.
