Liverpool Considering Wharton-Elliott Swap Deal

Liverpool are weighing up a bold move for Adam Wharton that could see Harvey Elliott sacrificed in a high-profile swap with Crystal Palace, as the Anfield hierarchy look to reshape Andoni Iraola’s midfield.

The club’s immediate task is to replace Mohamed Salah out wide, but Fenway Sports Group are not stopping there. They want fresh energy and control at the heart of the pitch, and Wharton has been on their radar for months.

Now the interest has a concrete shape.

Liverpool line up Wharton–Elliott swap

Journalist Danny Gallagher reported that Liverpool are actively exploring a deal for Wharton which would send Elliott to Selhurst Park as part of the package. The 23-year-old spent last season on loan at Aston Villa, where an obligatory buy clause never kicked in, leaving his future in limbo.

Arne Slot had already decided he could do without Elliott and sanctioned the loan to Villa. Iraola, newly in the Liverpool dugout, has not yet delivered a final verdict on the winger’s long-term role, but the club are clearly prepared to move if the numbers stack up.

Gallagher wrote on X at 1:06pm on July 5 that Liverpool are “looking into the logistics” of Elliott joining Palace as part of an agreement for Wharton, adding that the move could accelerate quickly if all parties give the green light. For a player Iraola still wants to assess, it is a stark indication of how highly Liverpool rate Wharton.

Palace dig in over £70m valuation

If Liverpool want their man, they will have to pay. Heavily.

TEAMtalk’s transfer insider Graeme Bailey revealed back in April that Palace intend Wharton to become the most expensive sale in the club’s history. Sources indicate the Eagles are demanding £70m for the 22-year-old England international.

That figure is no accident. Palace banked £68m from Arsenal for Eberechi Eze in the summer of 2025, and the board now want to nudge that benchmark higher. By £2m, to be precise.

Palace’s stance has already cooled some of the noise. Football Insider reported last week that Liverpool might have stepped back from a deal, with journalist Pete O’Rourke suggesting on July 3 that Wharton may not top Iraola’s wish list, given the style the Spaniard implemented at Bournemouth.

O’Rourke also pointed out that Palace, having already lost Michael Olise, Eze and Marc Guehi in recent years, are in no mood to casually cash in on another cornerstone of their side. Wharton is under a strong contract, Palace are under no pressure to sell, and they know other clubs have already moved for alternative midfield options.

Tottenham, once strongly linked, are now closing in on Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali. That leaves Palace “in the box seat”, as O’Rourke put it, with a player they can quite comfortably keep at Selhurst Park if the market does not meet their price.

High stakes for Liverpool’s rebuild

All of this leaves Liverpool at a crossroads. Internally, the debate over Wharton’s value and fit under Iraola is still playing out. Externally, Palace have drawn a clear line in the sand.

A £70m valuation. A possible swap involving a 23-year-old talent Liverpool have nurtured for years. A new manager trying to stamp his identity on a squad in transition.

If the deal catches fire, it will say everything about how far Liverpool are willing to go to rebuild their midfield around Wharton’s profile — and how ruthless they are prepared to be with one of their own.