Liverpool Transfer Latest: Adam Wharton Move Looks Unlikely Despite Curtis Jones Exit

Liverpool appear set to close this window without adding a new midfielder, even with Curtis Jones moving towards Inter Milan. That is the clear line coming from Lewis Steele for the Daily Mail, and it fits the facts more than the noise.

The headline name in this discussion is Adam Wharton. He has talent, he has profile, and he ticks the homegrown box. He also belongs to Crystal Palace, a club with no reason to sell cheaply and every reason to make life difficult late in the market. When the asking price is around £100m, the conversation changes very quickly from admiration to practicality.

Adam Wharton Interest Looks Limited

Steele’s update was direct and useful. He wrote: “Will they sign a midfielder to replace Jones? As it stands, no – though that could change if a deal becomes available in the last week of the market.

“Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton has long been linked with a move but the Selhurst Park club would want a huge fee of around £100m – and there is no indication Liverpool are interested anyway.

“Many other midfielders have been mooted but it seems more likely than not that the Reds do not sign a midfielder this window.”

That is about as unambiguous as it gets. People can talk themselves into scenarios all they want, but the current position is simple, Liverpool are not actively moving for Wharton.

Midfield Concerns Have Not Gone Away

This is where the debate becomes more uncomfortable. Liverpool did not suddenly develop midfield issues because Jones is leaving. Those problems were there throughout last season and they have carried into pre-season. Too often, the side has been easy to play through, too often second balls have been lost, and too often control has looked optional rather than structural.

Wharton would help with that. He reads the game well, covers ground, and gives you a calmer platform in possession. He would also help from a squad-building perspective because replacing a homegrown player with another homegrown player matters when registration limits are tight.

Crystal Palace Hold The Power

There is another obvious factor here. Liverpool have already seen how difficult Palace can be to negotiate with when timing is against them. Leave a deal this late and the selling club dictates the terms. Palace know Wharton’s value, know the market, and know Liverpool would be shopping under pressure.

So yes, Wharton makes sense in football terms. No, that does not mean the deal makes sense in market terms. If Liverpool are not convinced enough to go early, they are certainly not likely to throw £100m at the problem in the final stretch.

That may frustrate supporters, but it is a rational reading of the situation. Unless something shifts sharply in the final days, Liverpool look ready to move on without a Curtis Jones replacement.

Our View

From a Liverpool perspective, this feels far too familiar. Everyone can see the midfield needs help, everyone can see the team has lacked control, and yet the club seem content to sit on their hands unless the perfect deal falls into their lap. That is not strategy, that is drift.

Wharton may be expensive, fine. Not every player is available at a bargain price. If Liverpool genuinely rate him, then move decisively. If they do not, then where is the alternative? What supporters struggle with is the sense that the club always know why a deal cannot happen, but rarely show the same urgency in making one happen.

Jones leaving only sharpens the issue. He is homegrown, technically sound, and part of the squad fabric. Losing him and bringing nobody in sends a poor message. It says the club are prepared to accept a weaker midfield group and hope coaching alone fixes it.

Supporters have heard enough about patience, value and market opportunities. What they want is a team that can dominate the middle of the pitch again. Right now, this report suggests Liverpool know the problem and may still do nothing about it. That is the part that stings.