40% price drop expected: Liverpool could push to sign ‘top level’ England genius in January | OneFootball

Liverpool are expected to aggressively pursue the opportunity to sign an England international in January for potentially 40% less than his asking price during the summer transfer window.

Arne Slot has revamped his squad in several positions since the end of last season, but one area which has remained largely untouched is midfield, where Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister are set to renew the partnership which was so fundamental to our Premier League title triumph.

The Reds have been looking towards the future, with reported interest in teenage Ajax starlet Jorthy Mokio, although they could also be in the hunt for a midfielder to immediately challenge for a place in the starting XI.

Liverpool expected to push for Adam Wharton in January

As reported by Mark Brus for the Daily Briefing, Liverpool are expected to push for a January move for Adam Wharton, who’s also coveted by Chelsea and Manchester United.

A source for the publication indicated that the England international‘s asking price in the winter market is expected to be around £60m, a significant decrease on the £100m that Crystal Palace were demanding for him during the summer.

The 21-year-old is believed to be keen on playing European football and cementing his place in the national team ahead of next year’s World Cup, and the Reds would be able to offer him an opportunity to play in the Champions League.

Arne Slot is understood to be a ‘big admirer’ of Wharton, who’s open to leaving Selhurst Park but won’t majorly push for a move away from the Eagles.

(Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)

What qualities could Wharton bring to Liverpool?

The midfielder was an unused member of England’s Euro 2024 squad but hasn’t featured for the Three Lions since then, despite playing a major part in Palace’s maiden FA Cup triumph last season and being hailed as a ‘top level‘ player by international teammate and positional colleague Declan Rice.

Eagles manager Oliver Glasner has hailed Wharton’s decision-making and his ability to find ‘solutions with one or two touches’, while Gareth Southgate described the 21-year-old as an ‘unflappable’ operator with excellent in-game vision (BBC Sport).

Such qualities would appear to make Wharton an ideal fit for Liverpool, and he’s already proven that he can excel in the Premier League, even for someone who still has almost his whole career ahead of him.

He’d still find it difficult to displace either Gravenberch or Mac Allister, but as evidenced by the signings of both Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak this summer, Slot isn’t averse to having multiple Grade A options competing for one starting berth.

The Reds left it just too late to complete a move for Marc Guehi last week as Palace pulled the plug due to having no time to find a replacement, but if Richard Hughes can push for Wharton well before January, the Eagles might be more amenable to doing business in that scenario.

If we can get him for little over half of his reported summer asking price, that’d represent an outstanding coup by Liverpool.