Liverpool, far short of expectations this season, is reportedly leading the race to sign England national team midfielder Adam Wharton (22, Crystal Palace).
British outlet TalkSports reported on the 21st (Korea time) that under manager Arne Slot (48), Liverpool is ahead of Manchester United and Real Madrid in the Wharton transfer race but will have to engage in a fierce battle this summer.
Wharton and Crystal Palace are contracted until June 2029. With Crystal Palace holding the negotiating leverage, the fee could rise. Crystal Palace has set Wharton's minimum transfer fee at 80 million pounds (about 159.1 billion won).
Over the past year, Wharton has been regarded as one of the most impressively developing prospects in the Premier League. Despite his young age, he is praised for his calm ball possession and wide vision, which make him excellent at controlling the tempo of matches.
He is also adept at switching play with precise long passes and, with excellent defensive positioning, can disrupt opponents' attacking flow, giving him an outstanding balance between attack and defense. He can read and dominate the overall rhythm of a match.
Accordingly, Wharton's market value has changed: when he moved from Blackburn Rovers to Palace in early 2024 it was about 22 million pounds (about 43.7 billion won), and in just two years it has surged to nearly four times that amount.
Liverpool has been steadily adding youth in recent seasons to increase dynamism in midfield. According to the outlet, Wharton is not only technically complete but has also adapted to the Premier League, making him a perfect profile for Liverpool's midfield evolution.
The article said, "However, Manchester United, which urgently needs stability in midfield, and Real Madrid, which collects genius midfielders from across Europe, value Wharton highly," adding, "especially Real's interest means Wharton's reputation has already reached beyond England to the whole of Europe."
[OSEN]