Liverpool ready to blow Man Utd away with £80m move for top midfield target – chances of deal almost 100% | OneFootball

Liverpool are prepared to pay £80m for one of the three midfielders Manchester United are pinning their hopes on, and TEAMtalk can confirm it’s almost 100 percent guaranteed a move is made.

Man Utd may yet sign a new midfielder this month, but the expectation is that if they do, it’ll be a short-term loan. Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been mentioned, while Wilfred Ndidi has offered himself to the Red Devils, according to Fabrizio Romano.

That calibre of signing won’t please many Man Utd fans, but the club are reluctant to sign a second-class option outright.

Instead, they’re prepared to bide their time until one of their three top targets becomes available in the summer or beyond. The trio Man Utd adore are Carlos Baleba, Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton.

Our insider, Fraser Fletcher, brought news over the past 72 hours on Wharton. Sources have informed us that Wharton will not be leaving Crystal Palace this month, but the chances of him remaining an Eagles player heading into next season are “almost zero.”

In other words, it’s practically assured Wharton will move on in the summer, the only question is where.

Wharton is on the radars of Tottenham and Manchester United. We revealed Spurs had made ‘discreet enquiries’ into the midfielder’s signing earlier in January in an effort to get the jump on Man Utd.

But according to the latest from The Daily Mail, United’s biggest threat is actually Liverpool.

Their reporter, Lewis Steele – who specialises in covering Liverpool – dropped the bombshell that Arne Slot’s side are prepared to pay £80m for Wharton.

It was acknowledged competition for the 21-year-old’s signature will be fierce, but Liverpool offering £80m would quickly help determine which of their transfer rivals are for real.

Backing up what sources told us, Steele also insisted the overwhelming expectation is Wharton will be the next big name to leave Selhurst Park after Marc Guehi and along with Jean-Philippe Mateta.

Steele wrote: “After selling Guehi this month and with Jean-Philippe Mateta signalling his intention to leave, there is a widespread belief in the industry that Adam Wharton could be the next man to head for the exit door at Crystal Palace.”

In other news, the Saudis have reignited their pursuit of Liverpool icon Mohamed Salah, according to a report, while the Reds have already identified his potential successor.

Elsewhere, Man Utd and Liverpool have failed in their quest to bring Yisa Alao to Old Trafford and Anfield, respectively, with Fabrizio Romano revealing that Chelsea have agreed a deal with Sheffield Wednesday for the left-back.