Just hours before the Euro 2024 final, Manchester United confirmed their first summer signing.
It was no secret but in came exciting young striker Joshua Zirkzee. The Dutchman appeared for the Netherlands during this summer’s showpiece in Germany and arrives aiming to displace another raw centre forward in Rasmus Hojlund.
It will be exciting to see the two battle it out for a place in the side as the season goes on, but the focus for now will very much be on who else Dan Ashworth and Co can recruit.
Man United’s transfer strategy this summer
One of the biggest focus points for the new ownership is strengthening their defence. Matthijs de Ligt continues to be mooted with a switch and it’s highly likely that another Dutchman will be arriving at Old Trafford.
Jarrad Branthwaite has been another hot topic but with Amadou Onana set to move to Aston Villa in a £50m move, it’s thought the Toffees will now hold onto their star defender.
Leny Yoro of Lille is another target but he prefers Real Madrid and is waiting for the Spanish giants to make an offer.
So, where to next? Well, the midfield also needs bolstering with newfound England star Kobbie Mainoo requiring a partner with more energy than a certain Casemiro.
Benfica sensation Joao Neves is one name who just continues to be mentioned in the same breath as United but the Portuguese outfit are reluctant to let him go unless someone pays his release clause which stands at over £100m.
New reports from CaughtOffside suggest that a ‘cheaper alternative’ for the club is Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton.
He moved to the Eagles in a bargain £22m move last January and will no doubt fetch a considerable fee whenever the midfielder does move on.
How Adam Wharton compares to Declan Rice
Have we ever seen a rise like Wharton’s? A year ago he was getting ready to embark on a Championship campaign with Blackburn Rovers. Highly rated no doubt, but few would have predicted the meteoric rise he was about to embark on.
Signed by Palace in January, he quickly looked at home in the Premier League. Before we knew it, he was making his debut for England in June against Bosnia. The end result? A promising showing that earned him a place on the plane for Euro 2024.
Despite a lust to see the 20-year-old play from the English public, he failed to get on the pitch this summer but the experience will no doubt have been incredibly beneficial for such a young player.
Coincidentally, it’s the man he could partner should he join Man United who starred ahead of him; Mainoo.
This has the potential to be a fabulous partnership for Erik Ten Hag if Wharton does arrive, with United potentially set to land their own answer to someone like Declan Rice or Rodri.
Rice did not enjoy his best tournament for England but is certainly still one of the benchmark players when you talk about the best midfielders in the country.
Coincidentally, they’re both pretty big fans of each other too. Speaking about Wharton this summer, Rice said: “He’s been outstanding. He’s got a beautiful left foot, really crisp passing. And all round, just a really down-to-earth boy who wants to learn.”
Wharton returned the favour, suggesting that Arsenal’s record signing was a “top player”.
Why do they love each other? Well, probably because they’re pretty similar players. Although they play off different feet, they possess a wonderful ability to knock passes around with ease and break up the play.
In fact, so good has he been that Ian Wright even compared him to FFC’s Player of the Tournament for Euro 2024, Spain’s Fabian Ruiz.
He said on ITV this summer: “It’s either Kobbie (Mainoo) or Wharton, but I’d probably put Wharton in there simply because he’s the closest I’ve seen to Fabian Ruiz.”
So, what do the numbers say about all of them? We have the answer.
Wharton vs Rice & Fabian (23/24) |
|||
---|---|---|---|
Stat (per 90 mins) |
Wharton |
Rice |
Fabian |
Pass accuracy % |
81% |
89% |
89% |
Assists |
0.17 |
0.22 |
0.23 |
Key passes |
1.55 |
1.31 |
1.35 |
Progressive passes |
6.08 |
7.77 |
5.86 |
Shot-creating actions |
3.04 |
2.79 |
3.01 |
Tackles won |
1.88 |
1.42 |
1.73 |
Interceptions |
1.44 |
1.23 |
0.83 |
Successful take-ons |
0.55 |
0.59 |
1.20 |
Progressive carries |
0.99 |
2.09 |
1.20 |
Aerials won |
0.58 |
1.09 |
0.30 |
Stats via FBref. |
Evidently, Rice is a far better carrier of the ball than both players but as far as some of the metrics are concerned, there isn’t a great deal of difference.
A carry is considered progressive if the ball is moved towards the opponent’s goal at least 10 yards from its starting point or is carried into the penalty area.
Wharton is about as creative as Fabian and the Arsenal star, even playing more key passes per 90 minutes. Considering the others play for two of Europe’s elite clubs, it’s unsurprising that Wharton comes out on top in the defensive metrics but the full range of his skillset is shown here.
He can pass and create like Rice, he can break up the play like England’s number 4 and he’s crisp in possession. If United are looking for the perfect partner for Mainoo, they need to look no further than this ever-improving midfield sensation.

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