Liverpool's Bold Rebuild: Adam Wharton on the Radar
Liverpool’s reset under Andoni Iraola is starting to take shape – and the next piece of the puzzle could be Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton.
According to GIVEMESPORT’s Ben Jacobs, the Anfield hierarchy “really appreciate” the 20-year-old and are actively keeping tabs on the England youth international as they draw up plans for a summer overhaul.
This is not a gentle tune‑up. It’s a tear-down and reassembly of a title-winning squad.
From Slot’s shock exit to Iraola’s mandate
Arne Slot’s sacking, coming so soon after delivering the Premier League title in his first season, jolted the club. Liverpool have moved quickly to install Iraola, and the message from the board is clear: he will not be asked to make do with what he finds.
Key pillars of recent years have already gone. Andy Robertson, Mohamed Salah and Ibrahima Konaté have all departed, ripping out experience and leadership from back to front. The holes are obvious. So is the need for a new core.
Liverpool’s defensive record told its own story last season, with the team conceding more league goals than in any previous Premier League campaign. At the other end, Salah’s exit has left the flanks badly exposed, especially with 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha still at the very start of his senior journey.
Recruitment at Anfield has moved into big-club, big-money mode. Now the midfield is under the microscope.
Midfield under scrutiny
The engine room that powered Slot’s title win sagged a year later. Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister struggled to hit the same heights they’d shown in previous seasons, and Liverpool’s control in key games slipped with them.
Dominik Szoboszlai remains one of the first names on the team sheet, but Iraola wants more dynamism and security around him. That is where Wharton comes in.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Jacobs flagged the Palace midfielder as a live option: “Keep an eye on central midfield. Adam Wharton is a player really appreciated by Liverpool.”
That appreciation is hardly a surprise. Wharton has emerged as one of the Premier League’s most composed young midfielders, knitting play, breaking lines and reading danger with a maturity beyond his years. His manager at Palace, Oliver Glasner, recently went as far as to call him “one of the best midfielders in the world”.
Those are heavy words. Liverpool are listening.
Palace’s prize asset – and a difficult negotiation
Wharton is not an easy target. He has three years left on his deal at Selhurst Park, and Palace will be playing Europa League football next season. They are under no pressure to sell, even if the player’s omission from Thomas Tuchel’s England squad has sparked some talk around his next step.
Palace know what they have. A 20-year-old, already trusted in the Premier League, already central to a European campaign, and already drawing praise at the very top level. Any approach from Liverpool will come with a premium attached.
For Iraola, though, Wharton represents something more than just another body in midfield. He fits the profile of a long-term anchor, someone who can grow into the role as the team evolves around him. Liverpool’s interest suggests they see him as part of the next cycle, not a short-term fix.
Big fees, big names – and a new front line
While Wharton sits high on the midfield list, Liverpool’s biggest cheques may again be reserved for their attack.
The club have already shown they are prepared to operate in the £100m bracket, bringing in Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak for nine-figure fees last summer. That level of spending is unlikely to drop now, especially with Salah gone and the wide areas thin.
RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande has been identified as the preferred heir to Salah on the right. At just 19, he is already being treated like a franchise signing. Some reports suggest personal terms are in place, but Leipzig are holding firm on a valuation north of £100m.
Liverpool are in talks and they know the price of walking into that shop.
They are also monitoring Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League winner Bradley Barcola and Bournemouth winger Rayan, both valued at over £100m by their clubs. Those figures underline where the market is – and where Liverpool see themselves in it.
This is not a club dipping into the bargain bin. This is a club trying to build another title-winning side in one summer.
A squad at a crossroads
The scale of the task in front of Iraola is enormous. Replace Salah’s goals and gravity. Rebuild a defence that has just posted an unwanted record. Refresh a midfield that lost its edge. Do it all while staying at the sharp end of the Premier League and in Europe.
Wharton will not solve all of that on his own. But he would give Liverpool something they currently lack: a young, high-ceiling central midfielder who can be moulded into the heartbeat of Iraola’s system.
The interest is real. The appreciation is clear. Now the question is simple: how far are Liverpool willing to go, and how many £100m calls will it take, to turn admiration into a new core for the Iraola era?
