Report: Liverpool have set their sights on move for £70m midfielder

Photo IMAGO

That fee would be substantial, but it reflects the market. English, left footed, press resistant midfielders with Premier League experience do not come cheaply. Wharton’s appeal lies not in noise, but in control. He can receive under pressure, connect phases and provide Liverpool with a different rhythm alongside Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.

Liverpool have lacked that kind of metronomic presence at times. Wharton would not arrive as a luxury signing. He would arrive as a midfielder built for possession, patience and progression.

Curtis Jones Exit Would Carry Emotional Weight

TEAMtalk also report that Curtis Jones has “approved” a potential switch to Inter Milan, with talks over a new Liverpool contract said to have stalled. That will sting for many supporters.

Jones is 25, local, technically excellent and emotionally connected to the club. Yet sentiment cannot hide the reality. He has struggled to become a regular starter under Slot, and TEAMtalk note that when he has played, it has often been “out of position at right-back.”

For a player who has long wanted to be central to Liverpool’s future, that matters. TEAMtalk state: “Jones is known to be unhappy with his lack of opportunities at becoming the ‘main man’ at Anfield.”

Photo IMAGO

There is sympathy there. Jones has had good spells, mature performances and big moments. Yet Liverpool are operating at a level where availability, positional fit and tactical trust shape careers. If Inter Milan formalise their interest, Jones may see Italy as the stage where he can finally become more than a squad option.

Mohamed Salah Decision Looms Over Summer

Salah’s future remains the great emotional shadow over Liverpool’s planning. TEAMtalk report that San Diego FC have initiated their interest, while Saudi Pro League clubs remain keen.

The most important development may be family led. TEAMtalk state: “Crucially, TEAMtalk can reveal that Salah has been holding extensive discussions with his family over his next move.”

That sounds like a football decision becoming a life decision. Saudi Arabia offers familiarity, finance and regional significance. MLS offers lifestyle, visibility and a different kind of legacy. TEAMtalk also report that “his family are set to spend time in the United States” during the World Cup period to assess the environment first hand.

Salah has earned the right to choose carefully. Liverpool, however, must be ruthless in preparing for every outcome.

Photo: IMAGO

Liverpool Face Defining Transfer Window

Taken together, this report paints a club moving towards transition. Wharton could represent the next midfield pillar. Jones could become the painful academy sale. Salah could be approaching the final great fork in his Liverpool road.

Slot needs more control, more attacking balance and clearer succession planning. Wharton would help with the first. A Salah replacement would define the second. Jones leaving would underline the third.

Liverpool supporters will not want another summer of half measures. If £70m is the price for Wharton, the question is not whether he is expensive. It is whether Liverpool believe he is central to the next version of this team.

TEAMtalk’s report suggests Liverpool are already acting as if he might be.

Our View – EPL Index Analysis

For Liverpool fans, Adam Wharton makes a lot of sense, even at £70m. Supporters have spent too much of the past year watching Liverpool dominate territory without always controlling matches properly. Wharton is the kind of midfielder who can slow chaos, sharpen build up and make others better.

There will be concern over Curtis Jones. Losing a Scouser always hurts, especially one with his technical gifts. Yet fans can also understand why he might look elsewhere. If he is not trusted in his best position, and if contract talks are drifting, Inter Milan becomes more than speculation. It becomes opportunity.

Salah’s situation is different. This is the emotional one. MLS or Saudi Arabia would feel strange because Salah has been part of Liverpool’s modern identity. His standards, goals and durability have shaped an era. Still, no club can be paralysed by nostalgia.

The real issue for supporters is whether Liverpool have learned from previous rebuilds. If Salah goes, the replacement must be elite. If Jones goes, the midfield depth must improve. If Wharton arrives, he must be part of a clear plan, not simply another expensive name.

This summer cannot be reactive. It has to be decisive.