Liverpool and Chelsea are reportedly showing concrete interest in signing Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, as per TEAMtalk.
Since moving to Selhurst Park from Blackburn Rovers a couple of years ago, the 22-year-old has enjoyed great success, winning a Conference League, FA Cup and Community Shield.
In 51 appearances across all competitions, the Englishman scored a solitary goal and registered seven assists last campaign. So, it appears his recent eye-catching performances haven’t gone unnoticed.
Now, TEAMtalk state that Liverpool are showing a concrete interest in signing Wharton as a potential replacement for Curtis Jones, who has joined Inter Milan.
Moreover, Chelsea have identified the Crystal Palace star as a serious option to replace Enzo Fernández, who has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester City.
The Citizens are also interested in Wharton and have enquired about the details of signing him this summer. However, they see him as a potential alternative option if they fail to buy Fernández.
The report state that Crystal Palace want around £78m to sell him, with his existing deal set to run until 2029. But ideally they have no intention of letting him leave late in this window.
Battle
Wharton is a technically gifted left-footed deep-lying playmaker but is also comfortable in the box-to-box role. He is a press-resistant midfielder, can play threading passes between the lines, is efficient at taking set-pieces, and is also solid in defensive contributions.
Following Curtis Jones’ departure, Liverpool currently have Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo and Dominik Szoboszlai as deeper midfield options. Moreover, Trey Nyoni can provide cover in this position if needed. But Endo has struggled to find regular game time in recent years.
On the other hand, if Fernández eventually leaves, Chelsea would have Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Dario Essugo and Jordan Henderson as deeper midfield options.
Wharton is a Premier League-proven player and hasn’t reached his prime yet. So, he might be a shrewd acquisition for Liverpool or Chelsea should either club purchase him.
However, it is going to be interesting to see whether the Merseyside club or the West London club eventually make a concrete approach to secure his services before the end of this transfer window.
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