Liverpool steal a march on Real Madrid and United in advanced talks for Adam Wharton
Liverpool are in advanced talks to sign Adam Wharton from Crystal Palace, according to a report in Marca that has been picked up across English and Spanish football media in the last 24 hours. The 22-year-old has been a target for Real Madrid and Manchester United for most of the season, but Liverpool have stolen a march and pushed themselves to the front of the queue.
The fee is the headline number for any club moving for Wharton this summer. Palace want at least £70 million and have valued the player as high as £100 million in private. Eberechi Eze went to Arsenal for £67.5 million last summer, and £70m would make Wharton Crystal Palace's most expensive sale.
Why Liverpool, why now
Arne Slot's side have spent much of the second half of the season looking like a team that needs a tone-setting midfielder. Ryan Gravenberch has done a fair job stretching to fill the No 6 role, but his natural position is further forward. With Liverpool fourth in the table and out of the Champions League, the squad review has been clear: they need a controller. Wharton fits that brief.
He was bought by Palace from Blackburn Rovers for an initial £18 million in February 2024 and walked straight into the side. Two seasons later he is the player the rest of the league would most like to take off Steve Parish's hands. Wharton made his England senior debut at 20 and has been ranked at the top of Liverpool's recruitment list for two transfer windows.
The fee, and the gentleman's agreement
Wharton's contract at Selhurst Park runs until June 2029, and there is no release clause. There is, however, a so-called gentleman's agreement reported by multiple outlets: if he does not sign a new deal, Palace would let him leave for somewhere in the £60-65 million range provided the buying club has Champions League football to offer. Real Madrid would qualify automatically. Liverpool, fourth in the Premier League with games left, are still chasing a Champions League place. Manchester United, a place above Liverpool in third, are also in Champions League contention.
That last fact may turn out to be the decisive one. United have been the most public of the suitors for Wharton, with reports linking him to Old Trafford going back to last summer, but if Palace's understanding holds, Ruben Amorim's side would have to outbid the Champions League-qualified clubs rather than match them. £70 million is a big number; the £100 million Palace would otherwise demand is a much bigger one.
What happens next
The Premier League summer transfer window does not open until 15 June, so any deal will need to be teed up rather than completed. Marca's read is that Liverpool are in front by a clear margin. Real Madrid have been admirers since last season but have a heavier shopping list elsewhere. Manchester United remain interested but are operating from a different corner of the negotiation. If Wharton has decided he wants to play for a club in next season's Champions League, the conversation that matters runs between Anfield and the Bernabeu, with Liverpool still needing to seal their own qualification first.
Cricket Updates
