Liverpool have to outmuscle Man United and Spurs to land £100m Adam Wharton after flurry of calls

If Liverpool really fancy setting the agenda for 2026, they’ve got to win the race for Adam Wharton. The Crystal Palace metronome is the name on every big club’s lips, and after a spate of phone calls from Europe’s elite, this is shaping up to be a proper Premier League tug‑of‑war. Manchester United and Tottenham are firmly at the table, Manchester City and Bayern Munich have picked up the phone, and Liverpool have held fresh talks with the 21‑year‑old—who’s understood to be keen on Anfield. You can see why: a £100m price tag is steep, but the ceiling is enormous.

Palace’s gem in a summer of churn

Selhurst Park has been a revolving door of late. Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi have already departed, and there’s a good chance Oliver Glasner and Jean‑Philippe Mateta follow at season’s end. Through the upheaval, Wharton has looked a cut above—arguably one of the division’s standout midfielders. He helped Palace lift two trophies in 2025 and is now a regular in the England setup. That’s not just hype; that’s pedigree.

Spurs’ dream addition, and United’s interest dialled in

Tottenham view Wharton as the ideal complement to their midfield rebuild after bringing in Conor Gallagher, with Thomas Frank keen to pack more quality and control into the middle of the park. It tallies with whispers that senior figures in Spurs’ recruitment have pushed his name hard. Over in Manchester, United’s admiration is no secret either—Ben Jacobs has said they’ve been among those making calls, with City and Bayern also checking the temperature. In other words, the queue’s around the block.

Liverpool’s midfield refresh can’t wait

The Reds have spent the last two windows strengthening elsewhere—Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz to sharpen the cutting edge, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong to add thrust out wide, and Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes to bolster centre‑back depth. Smart business, yes, but the next logical upgrade is right in the engine room. By season’s end, Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister will have had two years carrying the load. Fresh legs and elite competition are overdue, particularly with talk that a Dutchman could be replaced ahead of next term.

Why Wharton fits the brief

Wharton brings control and composure beyond his years. Press‑resistant, two‑footed, positionally disciplined and with a sharp eye for the forward pass—he’s the type who knits phases together and raises the floor of a team. He’s already been hailed as top level by Declan Rice, and you don’t get that sort of endorsement lightly. At Palace he’s proven he can influence big moments and handle big pressure; at a superclub, he’d only accelerate.

The market reality

Palace will drive a hard bargain and rightly so. With a long queue and a long contract, the fee will hover around the nine‑figure mark. That won’t scare the Premier League’s heavyweights, but it does demand conviction. Liverpool, in particular, can’t afford to dither while rivals firm up proposals and sell the project.

If you’re tracking where the smart money thinks Wharton lands, keep an eye on the markets at the best betting sites—odds will swing with every fresh whisper and boardroom meeting.

Pundit’s verdict

For Liverpool, this is a statement signing waiting to happen. The squad surgery has been precise, but the midfield still needs one more elite operator to set the tempo in the biggest games. United and Spurs are credible threats, and the European giants won’t stop calling, but if the Reds move decisively they can park the bus in front of everyone else. Wharton is a now-and-next player: buy him at 21, build around him for a decade. If Liverpool want to stay one step ahead in 2026, they have to make sure the next call is the decisive one.