Liverpool given tantalising Adam Wharton transfer update as journalist reveals secret weapon in talks | OneFootball

Liverpool may have a major advantage in the race to sign midfielder Adam Wharton from Crystal Palace this summer after past negotiations with the player’s agent emerged, while TEAMtalk can share the additional lengths Richard Hughes is going to in order to secure a deal.

The Merseysiders have endured a difficult season, having fallen well below the high standards set last season as they romped to Premier League title glory. Their crown as English champions will be passed on to one of Arsenal or Manchester City, while Liverpool have also fallen short in the cups, failing to progress past the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and Champions League, and suffering a 3-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup fourth round.

With Arne Slot admitting a number of his leading stars have reached, or are coming towards the end of their cycle, a major rebuild is on the cards at Anfield this summer.

And while the manager has indicated the club will need to sell before they can buy, the central midfield is one area earmarked as an area for big improvements.

To that end, our exclusive update last week revealed that Liverpool were now running ‘extensive background checks’ on Wharton ahead of a potential summer move from Crystal Palace.

Rated in the £80m (€92m, $108m) bracket, it’s also understood that the midfielder is very much open to the switch to Anfield if a deal can be agreed between the two clubs, giving the Reds further encouragement that a deal is there to be done.

The Reds are not the only side keen, however. Manchester United have long been credited with an interest, while there have also been murmurings of interest from Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid.

Interest from Spurs, of course, is entirely dependent on the struggling north London side remaining in the Premier League.

However, David Lynch reckons Liverpool have a secret weapon in their quest to bring Wharton to Anfield, with the journalist sharing some fascinating intel on how recent negotiations with the England star’s agent could hand them a significant advantage over their rival suitors…

Liverpool given strong belief Adam Wharton deal is ON

Wharton is represented by the Manchester-based Omnisports agency, which also has the likes of former United defender Chris Smalling among their clientele.

They also represent a certain 18-year-old striker, Will Wright, who joined Liverpool’s academy in a £200,000 deal from Salford City in the summer of 2025, the Reds beating Arsenal to the teenager’s signature.

While little was made of that deal at the time, Lynch now believes establishing a good relationship with the agency could stand Liverpool in good stead when it comes to signing Wharton.

Speaking to Anfield Index, Lynch explained: “We’ve spoken about it for a while, interest from Liverpool, 100 per cent, and that’s going back to the Blackburn days.

“I personally don’t have any information that they’re definitely going to go for him, but it just wouldn’t be a surprise at all. I’ve known of the interest for a long time.

“One little interesting titbit about this, which I think went under the radar, I just thought it was interesting that Liverpool signed Will Wright last summer. It just seemed very out of nowhere.”

Lynch added: “Arsenal were kind of in there, and there was competing interest, and they got him over the line. He has the same agent as Adam Wharton, and sometimes with those deals, you just think, is that a little bit of a precursor to another deal being done further down the line?

“Maybe I’m discrediting Will Wright in a way there, I’m not trying to do that.

“But I’m just suggesting that sometimes clubs like to work with certain agents, and Liverpool being able to beat Arsenal to that one bodes fairly well for them in terms of Wharton.

“If they do want him, it seems to be very much on the cards for this summer.”

Wharton’s arrival could see two Liverpool stars depart

With Slot’s claim that Liverpool may need to sell to buy this summer, we revealed last week how doubts over Alexis Mac Allister’s form could lead to an offer being accepted for his services this summer.

Real Madrid are among the clubs that have a long-standing interest in the Argentine midfielder, who has not been at his very best this season.

That comes amid claims that FSG are ready to let up to nine players leave as part of a dramatic Anfield firesale.

In addition to Mac Allister, Curtis Jones is another star who looks destined to leave.

We exclusively revealed over the weekend that Aston Villa are among the sides hot on the Toxeth terrier’s trail.

One man who Liverpool will absolutely not sell, however, is Dominik Szoboszlai, with the Hungarian very much on track to be named the club’s player of the year and having been identified as a future captain-elect.

In terms of efforts to keep him, we can reveal that talks are progressing quickly for Hungarian playmaker Dominik Szoboszlai to further cement his future at Anfield.