Ben Jacobs confirms Liverpool’s interest in Premier League midfielder | OneFootball

Liverpool Transfer Latest: Ben Jacobs Says Adam Wharton Remains on Reds’ Radar

Liverpool’s summer planning already has that familiar feel, part recruitment logic, part market opportunism, part squad reshaping. According to Ben Jacobs, Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton remains very much in the conversation at Anfield, and that matters because this is not a name Liverpool have stumbled across late in the process.

Wharton has reportedly been monitored by the club since his Blackburn Rovers days, which immediately tells you something about the profile. Liverpool rarely move well when they chase noise. They move best when the scouting work is layered, patient and backed by a clear tactical purpose.

Wharton Interest Fits Liverpool’s Midfield Question

Ben Jacobs posted on X on Friday afternoon that Wharton is “an option” for Liverpool, adding: “As reported last week on @talkSPORT, Adam Wharton an option for Liverpool.”

That line is short, but the implications are not. Liverpool’s midfield, for all its talent, could be entering another period of adjustment. Curtis Jones has been mentioned among players who may be available if the club decide sales are needed to help finance another major summer. Alexis Mac Allister has also been linked with uncertainty, which naturally sharpens the need for contingency planning.

This is where Adam Wharton becomes interesting. He is not merely a fashionable young English midfielder. He is a controller, a passer, and a player comfortable receiving under pressure. At Crystal Palace, he has shown the kind of calmness that usually belongs to older footballers. Liverpool will see that.

Slot’s System Needs Balance, Not Names

Arne Slot won the Premier League in his first season at Liverpool in 2024/25, but title winning teams do not stand still. They evolve, or they invite decline. The question around Wharton is not simply whether he is good enough. It is whether he fits the midfield architecture Slot wants for 2026/27.

If Florian Wirtz is to be established as a proper No.10 behind the front three, Liverpool need a double pivot with intelligence, athletic security and defensive bite. One of those players must offer ball progression. Another must be able to handle duels, cover space and protect transitions.

Does Wharton fit that particular bill?

In possession, yes. He has the passing rhythm and composure Liverpool value. Out of possession, the debate is more nuanced. He is not a pure destroyer, nor should he be judged as one. His appeal lies in reading danger early, moving the ball quickly and giving structure to possession.

£70m Question Comes Down to Timing

A £70m valuation would not be cheap, but elite Premier League midfielders rarely are. Liverpool will know that if Adam Wharton continues developing, the price is unlikely to fall. Crystal Palace will also know they have a player admired by clubs with Champions League ambitions.

For Liverpool, this may come down to how quickly the market moves. If departures accelerate, interest in Wharton could become more than background admiration. Ben Jacobs has placed the name firmly in the frame, and Liverpool’s long term tracking suggests this is not idle speculation.

Wharton may not be the whole answer to Liverpool’s midfield puzzle, but he could be one of the more logical pieces.