According to a source, Ruben Amorim picked 21-year-old Adam Wharton as a target, and Manchester United is in a fierce transfer competition to win the race to sign the Crystal Palace midfielder this summer.
The Red Devils are “closely monitoring” Wharton as a “possible transfer target for this summer,” according to Caught Offside.
According to reports, head coach Amorim is a “big fan” of the all-action midfield player, and the Portuguese player’s endorsement is “driving [United’s] interest.”
But because to his outstanding displays at Selhurst Park, where the 21-year-old has been compared to Declan Rice and Michael Carrick, Wharton is now “on the radar” of every major English team, including United.
According to the article, “other major Premier League teams, including Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, and Tottenham, are also keeping an eye on the gifted young England international.”
“CaughtOffside understands that Palace is aware of interest in Wharton and wants to try to convince him to stay and sign a new contract.”
In a deal worth up to £22 million, Wharton left Championship Blackburn Rovers to join the Eagles during the January 2024 transfer window. He committed to Selhurst Park until the summer of 2029 by signing a five-and-a-half-year contract.
The 21-year-old’s quick ascent, which saw him chosen by Gareth Southgate for the England team for the European Championship last summer, relieves Selhurst Park executives of the need to reach a new deal with their valued asset.
Thus, even if that strategy is in place, Wharton is “yet to be offered a new deal by Palace, while talks with other clubs are also yet to take place,” according to the article.
Although Caught Offside forecasts that “it wouldn’t be surprising if others also stepped up efforts at some point,” the two United teams—Manchester and Newcastle—are said to be “showing the strongest interest at the moment.”
Due to the midfielder’s similarities to former teammate Carrick, legendary defender Rio Ferdinand has previously called Wharton a “great addition” for the Red Devils: “The way he slaps the ball around sometimes makes him look like Carrick.”
Amorim, however, would have been intrigued by Wharton’s diverse skill set as he looks for midfield answers at Old Trafford.
The midfield pivot, which frequently lines up against opposing three-man midfields, is under tremendous pressure to combine exceptional physical traits with good technical ones in order to meet the coach’s signature 3-4-2-1 system.
Casemiro, Christian Eriksen, and Kobbie Mainoo provide the latter, while Manuel Ugarte and Toby Collyer provide the former. Only Bruno Fernandes has proven to be able to do both, and even then, it’s still unclear if the Portuguese international ought to be used further on.
Wharton would offer Amorim the perfect option for this role, possessing excellent strength and stamina, good defensive instincts, and an expansive range of passing from deep. But it’s this potent pairing of brain and brawn which is interesting the other major clubs across the Premier League.
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