- Manchester United face fight to sign Adam Wharton
- Liverpool also interested in Palace star
- Club record fee may need to be broken
One name that has continuously been linked with a move to Manchester United this summer is Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton.
The 22-year-old has attracted interest from the Premier League so far, as well as Real Madrid. United are looking to bring in a progressive midfielder who can compliment Kobbie Mainoo when Casemiro departs.
Signing Wharton will not be easy, but it is quite clear why so many clubs are after the highly rated player.
Liverpool Register Interest in Wharton
According to Alex Crook of talkSPORT, rivals Liverpool are also interested in the signature of the England international.
Crooks has suggested that the Kop are “exploring” their options under the assumption that Curtis Jones leaves Anfield this summer. The Merseyside club are looking to rejig their midfield, with contracts running down and the future of manager Arne Slot still uncertain.
Wharton has played 2,200 minutes in the league this season for Palace. He has also been instrumental in their run to the UEFA Conference League semi-final, after beating Fiorentina last night. They will face Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk, moving them one step closer to their first major European trophy.
The Eagle’s success in the competition could be an integral selling point in keeping Wharton at the club. Winning the trophy ensures automatic qualification to next season’s Europa League without any obstructions.
The club are relaxed about keeping the player at Selhurst Park, despite knowing that manager Oliver Glasner will not be at the club next season. Crooks writes that Palace are “reluctant to lose any more of their star players”. Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi both left for fellow Premier League clubs this season.
Wharton Signing Would Require Breaking Transfer Record
Where the Red Devils are concerned, they must measure just how important Wharton is expected to be for the coming years. This is because the Reds would require the current club transfer record to be broken for Palace to entertain a departure for the midfielder.
The current record is still set by Paul Pogba, who signed for United from Juventus for a fee of £89.3 million in 2016. It was a world record fee at the time, which has now been broken. Yet it remains a club record.
If Wharton is seen as a supplementary signing, or a similiar profile to Mainoo, then United should look to move on. Breaking the bank for a ‘second’ midfielder that would not entirely solve the hole left by Casemiro is problematic. Funds have not been free-flowing at the club in recent transfer windows. Therefore, each signing needs to be meaningful in nature.
Palace’s quoted figure likely takes into account that he will be part of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad this summer. Combined with a contract at Selhurst Park until 2029, The Eagles have no need to sell.
The Old Trafford side could be better served looking overseas for a similar profile player, and continue to prioritise a defensive midfielder, which Wharton is primarily not.
