‘Liverpool dealt transfer setback in pursuit of Adam Wharton’
Liverpool are still celebrating confirming their status as Premier League champions, but work is already going on behind the scenes to help them defend their title.
Arne Slot’s side won the league with four games still remaining, beating Tottenham 5-1 at Anfield to stretch out an unassailable lead over second-place Arsenal.
However, the celebrations have been soured slightly by Trent Alexander-Arnold’s move to Real Madrid, with the full-back being booed by fans who are disappointed with the manner of his departure.
The Reds will be eager to lift the mood with news of an incoming player, and in the last week, Liverpool have been linked with Adam Wharton.
Liverpool target Wharton
Wharton was part of the Crystal Palace side that beat Man City 1-0 in the FA Cup Final, to win the Eagles’ first ever major trophy.
The former Blackburn midfielder impressed under the Wembley arch, and has caught the eye all season for his composed and calculated style of play.
Despite Liverpool’s interest in the 21-year-old, The Athletic (22 May) Football Correspondent David Ornstein doesn’t believe he will leave South London, saying: “Wharton, understandably, has many admirers and it looks like he is capable of going to the very top, but his season was disrupted by injury and he is progressing extremely well at Palace.
“You never know how the market will develop but I think Palace would expect him to stay with them this summer and I don’t know of any agitation on his part to move.”
Wharton for England
Football Insider Verdict
It is no wonder that Wharton is getting transfer interest from some of the top clubs in the country, after the level of performances he’s been putting in this season.
The midfielder missed a large chunk of the campaign with a groin injury, but since his return in February, he has been a vital part of Palace’s FA Cup success, as well as their good run in the Premier League.
| Games | Goals | Assists | Yellow Cards |
| 20 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Wharton is also being pursued by Manchester City, but the youngster’s career would only stagnate at a bigger club, and if he stays at Selhurst Park he will surely be a regular in the England squad soon.
Thomas Tuchel’s side are crying out for someone of Wharton’s profile, a progressive passer to sit next to Declan Rice in midfield and dictate the game.
With just a year until the 2026 World Cup, if the Palace starlet stays in South London, starts week in week out for a good Premier League side, then he should find himself on the plane to North America.