Journalist: Crystal Palace ‘open to selling’ Adam Wharton amid Liverpool interest

For Liverpool, that could make Wharton one of the more realistic midfield targets in a summer where decisive action will be expected. The club’s problems have been visible, and the defeat at Manchester United only sharpened the sense that this squad needs a different balance in the middle of the pitch.

Midfield need is obvious

Lynch was clear that Liverpool require midfield work. “He obviously needs to do something in central midfield,” he said, referring to Arne Slot and the team’s summer priorities.

That line came after a broader conversation about Alexis Mac Allister’s struggles and Curtis Jones being used away from his best position. Lynch had already argued that Mac Allister “cannot be a Liverpool player next season” if the club wants to operate “at the top end,” unless his role is heavily reduced.

He also said Curtis Jones is “better than Alexis Mac Allister right now” and “should be starting Liverpool games in midfield.”

Against that backdrop, Wharton’s name becomes particularly relevant. Liverpool do not simply need another body. They need a midfielder who can help correct the problems that have defined the season, control, intensity, legs and structure.

Davis captured the wider feeling when he said: “You wouldn’t mind Wharton, but you need it to be Wharton and one other.”

Photo: IMAGO

Balance concerns remain

Lynch was positive about Wharton’s ability, but not blind to the risks. “I think he brings an awful lot of the things that Liverpool need,” he said. Then came the caveat: “But he also creates some weaknesses that I’m slightly scared about in terms of the balance of the midfield and the ability to run through it.”

That is the central tension. Wharton may be admired, and Lynch called him “a fantastic footballer,” but Liverpool’s midfield problem is not just technical. It is also physical and structural.

“Does he completely solve that? I think absolutely not, to be honest,” Lynch said.

That does not mean he would be a poor signing. Far from it. Lynch said: “I think he will be a good signing in terms of as a player, because I think he’s absolutely fantastic.” However, he also acknowledged a concern raised in the comments, saying Wharton being “injury prone” is “also true and a little bit of a question mark over him.”

For Liverpool, Adam Wharton looks like a name with substance behind it. Lynch believes the admiration is real, the move would not surprise him, and the player has clear quality. Yet the message from Media Matters was also that Wharton alone cannot fix Liverpool’s midfield.

If this summer is about giving Arne Slot a platform to reset Liverpool, then Wharton may be part of the answer. As Davis suggested, the bigger question is whether Liverpool are bold enough to make him one part of a wider midfield rebuild.