Liverpool’s summer revamp under Arne Slot has a new target: Crystal Palace metronome Adam Wharton. Sources on Merseyside confirm an opening enquiry valuing the 21‑year‑old at £50 million. Signed from Blackburn for £18 million plus add‑ons 18 months ago, Wharton now ranks among the league’s crispest distributors, averaging 76 passes per 90 with 91 percent accuracy and topping Palace’s progressive‑pass charts. Palace inserted a 20 percent sell‑on for Blackburn and tied the player to 2029, leaving the club in a powerful position.
Sporting director Dougie Freedman is holding out for closer to £65 million, pointing to Real Madrid and Manchester City scouts who tracked Wharton post‑groin‑surgery return. Liverpool view him as the ideal deep partner for Alexis Mac Allister, but the player’s camp want guaranteed starts. Palace, buoyed by European qualification, have tabled a hefty pay rise and the promise of a central role in Glasner’s project. With four years left and performances peaking, the Eagles are ready to reject any low‑ball bid.
The saga is shaping up as a defining subplot of the window, with Palace fans hopeful the lure of continued growth in SE25 can outshine Anfield’s glamour.
