Manchester United have expressed interest in signing Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton this summer, according to CaughtOffside.
Wharton first attracted widespread attention during his time with Blackburn Rovers, having progressed through the Championship club’s academy.
The midfielder made 51 appearances for the Riversiders before his performances attracted enough interest for Crystal Palace to secure his services in January 2024.
Over the following two seasons, the 22-year-old has developed into one of the Premier League’s most standout midfielders while playing an important role in Palace’s progress under former manager Oliver Glasner.
His top-level displays have also translated to the biggest occasions, having started the FA Cup Final, FA Community Shield and, most notably, the UEFA Conference League Final as the Eagles completed a clean sweep of all three trophies.
Such consistency over the past two and a half years will inevitably draw keen interest, especially from top clubs.
One of the clubs looking to sign Wharton is Man Utd, according to CaughtOffside, which claims that the Red Devils have expressed interest in the exciting midfielder.
Despite already adding Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, the club are still exploring another midfield addition due to Casemiro’s departure and Manu Ugarte’s injury, according to the report.
Michael Carrick’s side are now actively pursuing a move for Wharton, but Palace’s steep £85m demand has stalled negotiations, CaughtOffside adds.
‘Magnificent’ midfielder
United are also set to face stern competition in the race for Wharton, with the report adding that Chelsea have opened talks with Palace over Wharton, who is Xabi Alonso’s priority, while Real Madrid are also closely monitoring the 22-year-old.
So far in United’s preseason games, one major takeaway beyond the results is the style of play Michael Carrick is looking to establish. They look fearless, hungry and relentless.
While it is understandable that it’s only preseason with some key players for other opponents missing, United’s impressive performance in the 1-1 draw against PSG and 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid has given a glimpse of how competitive the Red Devils will be heading into next season.
The potential addition of Wharton will help elevate the team’s on-pitch cohesion, ball retention and control even further. The England international is one of the most efficient players on the ball, and his passing ability has been described as ‘magnificent’ by football talent scout Jacek Kukig.
Considering the steep fees midfielders have been sold for this summer, £85m for Wharton would be a good investment for a player who still has his best years ahead of him.
