Keane picks one positive, one negative from ‘a bit soft’ Adam Wharton as Liverpool rumours snowball | OneFootball

Former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane has provided a detailed assessment of Adam Wharton amid growing claims Liverpool are giving serious thought to signing the Crystal Palace star in 2026.

The 21-year-old midfielder earned his third England cap, but first competitive start, on Sunday evening as England completed their World Cup qualification programme with a routine 2-0 win against Albania, which ensured they have gone through the campaign with a perfect eight out of eight record, having scored 22 times and conceded zero.

And with Wharton giving a good account of himself in the engine room, the Crystal Palace star looks well placed to earn a seat on the plane next summer as Thomas Tuchel bids to write his name in the history books with success in North America and Mexico.

Whether Wharton will still be an Eagles player by then remains open to some debate. Manchester United have been strongly linked with a move in recent weeks as they look to provide Ruben Amorim with a long-term heir to Casemiro at the base of their midfield. It was even suggested on Monday night that an offer has been made.

And while sources insist a January move will be tricky to pull off, a summer move will be difficult to deny a player, whose form is also said to have attracted admiring glances from Manchester City and Real Madrid.

However, the strongest links in recent days have focused around Liverpool and a report at the weekend claimed those in power at Anfield had held initial talks over a proposed £70m deal to bring Wharton back to the north-west next summer.

Having assessed his performance for England, legendary United figure, Keane has provided a detailed rundown on the player’s strengths and weaknesses.

“I do like Adam Wharton,” Keane began on ITV1. “A lot of the modern midfielders, their first option seems to be ‘can I go sideways or backwards?’ What I like about him, the first option he seems to look at is ‘can I pass it forward?’ and that’s a big strength to have.”

That characteristic would clearly suit Arne Slot in his quest to create a more dynamic Liverpool side.

However, Keane did not just stop at the compliments and pulled up Wharton on an aspect of his game he can learn to do better with…

Keane, though, believes there are elements of Wharton’s game that he still lacks right now to be regarded as a truly top player, though the notoriously hard-to-please Irishman does make a fair point, given the player’s lack of experience at the very top level.

“This is where he can mature over the next year or two if he’s playing at the top level – put demands onto people. He’s a bit soft there. Shout at players, go ‘give me the ball!’ That’s what I used to do… put demands on your teammates.

“He’s still new to it, so I’m not going to be too harsh on him. But as he matures and starts playing more games, put demands on your teammates.”

Keane’s point makes total sense, and, given that Wharton has made just 45 appearances at the Premier League level, that is an aspect of his game that he can certainly work on and one that will come with experience.

However, in Tuchel at international level and in Oliver Glasner at club level, Wharton has two of the finest coaches around in which to develop from and improve his game under.

Tough in the tackle and with a good eye for a pass, it is easy to see why he is already one of the first names on the Palace teamsheet and already finding himself linked with some of the Premier League’s biggest sides.

Latest Liverpool news: Konate gets generous final offer; Semenyo truths revealed

Meanwhile, Liverpool are reported to have lodged a ‘very generous’ but ‘final’ offer to their soon-to-be out-of-contract defender Ibrahima Konate.

Paid just £70,000 a week right now, a top source has shared what is likely to happen next and having revealed truths over those rumours linking the France captain with a move to Real Madrid.

Elsewhere, reports that Liverpool are increasingly tempted to move for Antoine Semenyo in January and have ‘extra motivation’ to sign the player off Ghana’s failure to qualify for the African Cup of Nations have been given a serious reality check by three sources, who have revealed all about Bournemouth’s stance.

Finally, Liverpool are facing up to the very concerning reality that British record signing Alexander Isak will not be able to showcase his very best for the club until next year after the striker opened up on his frustrating start to life at Anfield and with Sweden coach Graham Potter dropping a fitness update.