By OkayGoal 
Liverpool tied down Dominik Szoboszlai to a contract at the club until 2031 but remain intent on bringing in some quality to their midfield this summer nevertheless, especially as Andoni Iraola seeks improved depth and creativity.
Joao Gomes had recently been linked with a transfer to Merseyside but Football Transfers has reported that the Reds have rejected the opportunity to bring him in, with Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton now identified as the top target.
Adam Wharton was one of Palace’s standout players during Oliver Glasner’s impressive tenure at the club and his development over the last couple seasons as well as contribution to the Eagles’ FA Cup and Europa Conference League wins has been key.
Crystal Palace have set an asking price of £100 million for the English international, Football Transfers has added, with Elliot Anderson’s £116 million switch from Nottingham Forest to Manchester City this year being a benchmark.
Wharton a solid long-term investment
In the last few months, Liverpool struggled for creativity in the final third under Arne Slot as Alexis Mac Allister and Florian Wirtz especially failed to impress, therefore opening the door for a quality addition of Adam Wharton’s calibre.
His price tag of £100 million would require the Reds to spend a huge chunk of this summer’s budget on Wharton’s acquisition, but his rapid improvement in a short span of time makes the 22-year-old an ideal long-term option for the club.
Wharton is capable of playing across multiple positions and formations in midfield, with his ability to control the tempo of the match and transition quickly from defence to offence holding him in high regard.
The Crystal Palace star possesses elite passing accuracy but is also capable of beating the opponent’s press as well as tight structure effectively to dribble past multiple players, making him important against teams which defend in a low block.
In spite of Wharton being worth the investment for Liverpool, it remains to be seen if they are willing to match his nine-figure price tag or would rather spend that money on a winger, with Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola closely linked to them.
