Liverpool’s summer rebuild continues to gather momentum, with Arne Slot looking to add quality and depth across multiple positions.
Defence is the focus for the time being, as the club push to secure Parma’s Giovanni Leoni and Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi.
The need for defensive reinforcements grew after Jarell Quansah’s sale to Bayer Leverkusen and Joe Gomez’s calf injury, leaving Ibrahima Konaté and Virgil van Dijk as the only fit senior centre-backs.
Alongside this, Liverpool’s recruitment team have also been monitoring the Isak situation at Newcastle.
If any encouragement is given, they’re ready to return with another bid for the Sweden international.
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To some, he is a throwback to the days when Xabi Alonso dictated the tempo at Anfield, switching play with metronomic precision and breaking lines with his vision.
That player is Adam Wharton, Crystal Palace’s rising star, described by Henry Winter as a “pressing machine” and by Oliver Glasner as someone whose “decision-making is amazing.”
Wharton first came to wider prominence after signing from Blackburn Rovers for an initial £18m in January 2024.
His adaptation to Premier League football has been seamless when fit.
Although a groin injury sidelined him for 17 games last season, he still made 27 appearances across all competitions, providing two league assists and showing the kind of game intelligence more often associated with one of La Liga’s most cultured midfielders.
His influence was particularly evident during Palace’s run to the FA Cup final, with his semi-final display against Aston Villa underlining his ability to dominate a game without fuss.
Liverpool are far from the only suitors. Indeed, according to Simon Jones of the Daily Mail, Real Madrid are understood to be monitoring the 21-year-old, while Tottenham made an inquiry before May’s FA Cup final.
Manchester United and Manchester City are also in the mix, though Liverpool’s long-standing admiration makes them one of the front-runners should Palace decide to sell.
Adam Wharton: Shades of Alonso
The Xabi Alonso comparison isn’t a lazy one.
Both players share a deep-lying playmaker’s instinct, operating where the pitch is in front of them, scanning before receiving, and hitting passes that slice through pressure.
Alonso’s Anfield legacy rests on his technical elegance and tactical intelligence.
Wharton is shaping into a midfielder of the same mould, blending defensive awareness with creativity. Statistically, the resemblance is striking.
According to Fbref, Wharton ranked in the 91st percentile for key passes per 90 (1.78), the 91st percentile for progressive passes per 90 (7.31), and the 93rd percentile for shot-creating actions per 90 last season (4.03).
A pass is considered progressive if the distance between the starting point and the next touch is at least 10 meters closer to the opponent’s goal or any completed pass into the penalty area.
Those numbers place him among Europe’s most incisive passers, with the 86th percentile for long passes completed (4.78 per 90) hinting at the kind of diagonal switches Alonso once made a trademark.
Wharton also ranked in the 93rd percentile for dribblers challenged successfully (3.00 per 90) and the 96th percentile for ball recoveries (6.97 per 90).
He presses with purpose, tackles decisively, and anticipates danger early.
Liverpool’s current options in midfield – Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo, Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, Ryan Gravenberch – all bring individual strengths, but Wharton offers a rare combination.
The defensive capability to shield a back line and the technical vision to dictate from deep.
In that sense, he could be the missing link in transitioning Liverpool from one phase of play to the next, something Alonso did under Rafael Benítez.
There’s also a psychological element at play. Alonso was never flustered, and Wharton carries the same air of composure.
In big moments – like Palace’s equaliser in the Community Shield against Liverpool, which he set up – he seems to make the right choice more often than not.
That knack for calm decision-making in high-pressure situations is precisely what Liverpool need as they look to build on last year’s title.
The price tag could be the sticking point. Palace know they have a valuable asset, and interest from Madrid and multiple Premier League rivals will only drive his valuation up.
His current market value according to Transfermarkt is around £40m, but any deal would likely require a figure well beyond that, especially given his age and home-grown status. Some reports suggest the Eagles value him at £100m.
For Liverpool, the question becomes whether the cost is worth the potential Alonso-esque impact.
For now, Liverpool’s attention may remain divided between defensive targets and the Isak chase, but the temptation to secure their new Alonso will be hard to resist.
In Wharton, they wouldn’t just be buying talent – they’d be investing in a playing style that once underpinned one of the club’s most successful modern sides.
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