Adam Wharton to Liverpool
Quiet since 17 June 2026. Last report: Graeme Bailey. Probability when it went quiet: 6%.
Liverpool have settled on Adam Wharton as a priority for their midfield rebuild, and the interest is real rather than idle. The plan, as reported, is to reshape the middle of the pitch around Dominik Szoboszlai and add the 22-year-old England man alongside him. Yet this is early. No bid has landed on Crystal Palace's desk, and Palace are in no rush to sell a player tied down until June 2029. The numbers being floated stretch from a €70m starting point up towards €82m, with Palace's own demand reported as high as €118m. The live thread comes from Graeme Bailey, a reliable voice, reporting that Liverpool are 'intensifying' their pursuit. That is one solid source rather than a chorus, so treat it as a genuine lead rather than a done deal. The €82m asking figure is Bailey's; the €118m demand traces to Transfer News Live. As things stand this is against the odds. Palace hold every card: a long contract, no financial pressure, and a valuation that dwarfs what Liverpool have so far entertained. For it to move, Liverpool must table a formal bid and the two clubs must close a gap that currently runs to tens of millions. For context, Liverpool have paid at this level before. They spent €85m on a Benfica signing in 2022, €73m for a Roma man, and €71m on a Leipzig arrival in 2023. Wharton himself cost Palace €21m from Blackburn in 2024, which shows the profit on offer. Watch for Liverpool's first concrete bid. Until one arrives, this stays talk.
Who reported it
- Graeme Bailey, 17 June 2026: Liverpool have made it clear that Dominik Szoboszlai is going nowhere this summer as they plan to reshape their midfield around him and top target Adam Wharton, with the Reds ‘inte