Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton is appreciated by Liverpool and was previously tracked by the club when he was playing for Blackburn Rovers, Reds transfer expert David Lynch has claimed.
The Merseysiders were confirmed as Premier League champions on Sunday after they beat Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 at Anfield, with midfielders Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai all registering direct goal contributions.
Despite the team's success this term, there is an expectation that boss Arne Slot could look to make numerous additions in the summer, including potentially in the middle of the pitch.
When asked by Sports Mole if Palace's Wharton would be on Liverpool's radar, Lynch explained that the club have held interest in the Englishman in the past, saying: "Definitely a player that's liked by Liverpool because I know for a fact that they liked him when he was at Blackburn before he made that move to Crystal Palace. He was very much on the radar.
"This is a problem that sometimes Liverpool haven't made that jump when the player's been in the Championship and then another Premier League club's done it and all of a sudden they perform incredibly and they're worth £100m. Sometimes you'd like to see Liverpool take that risk and go in early, but they definitely liked him then.
"He's an absolutely brilliant player. I do enjoy watching him as well - a really calm footballer, composed in possession. I like the way he moves the ball, so no doubts that they still like him."
Wharton has excelled for Palace in 2024-25 - helping the Eagles reach the final of the FA Cup - and his ability with the ball at his feet would make him a good fit for Slot's more controlled style of play.
Will Liverpool make a move for Wharton?
While Slot may want to strengthen in the middle of the pitch, he will arguably have to reinforce in a number of other areas if he is to lead the club to the title in 2025-26.
Strikers Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota have underperformed this campaign, while veteran left-back Andrew Robertson has routinely had his place in the team questioned.
Lynch expressed his view that the Reds may not sign a midfielder given the work they need to do in the summer when he told Sports Mole: "I'm sceptical about the idea that they would sign him this summer. I don't think central midfield is an area Liverpool are going to go big on. The clear areas for strengthening are centre-forward - and that's going to cost a lot - and a starting left-back.
"Those are seen internally as Liverpool's priorities. Central midfield is going to be a lot lower down the list as well because they're going to need a back up right-back to Conor Bradley, and there are other areas of the pitch [to strengthen in]. Centre-half's another one - it looks like Joe Gomez will leave, so it's a lot of turnover in other areas.
"Maybe in a couple of summers time that will become a priority for Liverpool, but I don't see it being in this summer window, and so with Wharton and his price tag, I'm struggling to see how that one comes together."
Liverpool tried to reinforce in midfield prior to the start of the season, but their pursuit of Martin Zubimendi ultimately fell through, allowing Gravenberch to step up and claim a starting spot.
© Imago
What type of midfielder would Liverpool look for?
Slot has so far only shown trust in four midfielders to start games - Curtis Jones, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister and Gravenberch - though he has regularly brought on veteran Wataru Endo to see out games.
Endo was linked with a move away from Anfield in both the summer and winter, and it would not be surprising if the 32-year-old was the subject of bids in the upcoming transfer window.
Speaking to Sports Mole, Lynch suggested that the club would only search for a rotational option in midfield, saying: "It's more likely to be necessitated by a Wataru Endo exit, bringing in someone in a support role who can play a little more, but that's not Wharton. When he makes a big move he's going to want 30 Premier League games and Liverpool aren't looking for that player.
"They would like someone who could be involved more who is trusted slightly more by the manager but I still don't think we're looking at someone who is coming in and they're saying 'I want to play for 30 Premier League games'. That's not going to be the case - [the current] three are going to be the starting three.
"I would expect Curtis Jones to get plenty of games, and hopefully another will be getting plenty of games as the rotation option but not necessarily a nailed on starter. I don't think it can be seen as a huge priority at the moment and I know it's a real talking point online and on social media, but the instant improvements to this starting XI are left-back and centre-forward."
It should be noted that Gravenberch and Szoboszlai are just 22 and 24 years old respectively, while Mac Allister is 26, and there is no reason to think that the trio will not be a staple of Liverpool's midfield for years to come.
Lewis Nolan
![England Euro 2024 squad File photo dated 26-03-2024 of Adam Wharton[IMAGO]](https://sm.imgix.net/11/29/1x1.gif?w=1&h=1 "England Euro 2024 squad File photo dated 26-03-2024 of Adam Wharton[IMAGO]")
