Liverpool Eyeing Adam Wharton to Strengthen Midfield

Liverpool’s rebuild under Andoni Iraola is beginning to take shape, and the next piece of the puzzle could be Crystal Palace’s rising midfield conductor, Adam Wharton.

According to GIVEMESPORT’s Ben Jacobs, Liverpool “really appreciate” the 20-year-old and are actively eyeing central midfield as an area to strengthen this summer. On talkSPORT, Jacobs was clear: “Keep an eye on central midfield. Adam Wharton is a player really appreciated by Liverpool.”

That line will prick up ears on Merseyside.

Iraola’s Liverpool Start With Upheaval

The backdrop is brutal. Arne Slot, the man who delivered a Premier League title in his first season, is already gone, dismissed in a move that caught plenty by surprise. Iraola has been parachuted in and, almost immediately, Liverpool have committed to reshaping a squad that sagged badly in the title defence.

Key pillars have gone. Andy Robertson, Mohamed Salah and Ibrahima Konaté – three of the most influential figures of the club’s recent era – have all departed. The holes are obvious: leadership, experience, and in Salah’s case, goals and aura.

The squad suddenly looks thinner, especially in wide areas. Behind the scenes, Liverpool are in talks over a move for RB Leipzig’s explosive winger Yan Diomande, identified as the preferred long-term successor to Salah. Personal terms are said to be broadly in place, but Leipzig are holding firm at a valuation north of £100 million.

That is the new financial reality at Anfield. And it hasn’t scared them off.

Midfield Under the Microscope

While the headlines focus on replacing Salah and tightening a defence that conceded a club-record number of Premier League goals last season, the middle of the pitch is quietly becoming a priority.

Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister, both expected to be cornerstones of the side, struggled to hit their previous levels throughout the 2025-26 campaign. Dominik Szoboszlai remains one of the first names on the team sheet, but beyond him, the chemistry has never quite clicked.

That is where Wharton enters the conversation.

The Palace midfielder, who still has three years left on his deal at Selhurst Park, has been one of the breakout Premier League performers. His composure in possession, range of passing and tactical maturity have not gone unnoticed. Palace will play Europa League football next season, a reward for Oliver Glasner’s impressive work, yet speculation around Wharton has only grown.

Glasner himself has called Wharton “one of the best midfielders in the world” in recent weeks. That is the level of esteem in which he is held inside the club. The twist? Wharton missed out on Thomas Tuchel’s England squad, a surprise omission that has only sharpened talk of a possible move.

Liverpool sense an opportunity.

Big Fees, Big Statements

Liverpool have already shown they are prepared to live in the £100m-plus bracket. Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak arrived last summer at that price point, signalling a shift in how aggressively the club will operate in the market.

This window looks no different.

Diomande will cost in excess of £100m if Leipzig get their way. Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League winner Bradley Barcola has been linked, as has Bournemouth winger Rayan – both also valued at more than £100m by their clubs.

These are not marginal upgrades. They are statements.

Wharton, though, represents something slightly different. Less about box-office branding, more about balance. A midfielder who could knit Iraola’s ideas together, give Liverpool a calmer heartbeat in the centre of the pitch, and restore some of the control that has slipped away.

Palace, with European football on the horizon and a prized asset under a long contract, will not sell cheaply. Liverpool, wrestling with the loss of three core starters and the demands of a new manager, must decide how far they are willing to go.

They have their eyes on the wings, their chequebook open for another marquee attacker. But if Iraola is to build a side capable of reclaiming the title they surrendered so meekly, the real question may be this: can Liverpool afford not to land a midfielder of Wharton’s profile now?