​Liverpool’s interest in Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton persists as one of those transfer sagas that never fully goes away. On Anfield Index, Trev Downey spoke with Lewis Steele about Wharton, Harvey Elliott, and whether anything had shifted regarding a potential midfield move. Downey opened by noting that the Wharton deal had previously seemed almost ready to happen, with the sticking point being whether Liverpool would meet Palace’s asking price.
Steele’s reply was careful. On the Harvey Elliott angle, he admitted uncertainty: “I’m not sure about the Harvey Elliott aspect.” He said he had checked with people on both sides of the deal, including sources close to Palace, and they had “played that down for now.” That matters because swap-style talk can inflate how close a transfer is. Steele clarified that, as things stand, Palace aren’t actively pursuing that route, though he acknowledged that could change.
The crucial issue remains price. Steele asserted: “The Wharton one, it seems like to me Palace are after an awful lot of money for him.” That line encompassed the entire discussion. Liverpool still want a midfielder and see a fit in Wharton, but Palace are not a seller who will be readily swayed on price. Steele pointed to last summer’s pursuit of Marc Guéhi as a reminder of Palace’s negotiation stance, noting that Liverpool’s bid ultimately failed to secure the player.
There is, however, a potential pressure point. Steele added: “If Wharton wanted to go or if any of them want to go, they’d be fools to stand in his way.” Even so, he emphasized that Palace hold all the cards in terms of negotiating leverage. The midfielder’s situation at Selhurst Park factors heavily into any potential deal.
Steele did not present Wharton as an imminent Liverpool transfer. His wording was cautious, and that caution seems meaningful: “It’s quiet on that one at the moment to be honest. I don’t know whether that’s a case of Liverpool being completely off the idea or whether they’re just keeping their powder dry for after the World Cup.” He also stressed a broader reality about transfers: many deals take longer than fans expect, with processes that can stretch over weeks rather than days.
That is the current state of the Adam Wharton story. Not dead, not decisively advanced, not dismissed. Steele encapsulated the position: “I think it’s clear that Liverpool are in for a midfielder and he could be one, but I’ve not really heard anything to suggest it’s anything more than, you know, he’s an idea that’s been floated around.”
Wharton makes evident sense for Liverpool as a profile to pursue. For Crystal Palace, he is a player they can demand serious money for. For Andoni Iraola, perhaps a better SEO option, as the column’s writer hints with a touch of humor. In the end, the price remains the most decisive factor, with Palace’s negotiating stance likely to shape any possible path to Anfield. The story lives on, with no definitive conclusion, just a cautious sense that a midfield addition remains on Liverpool’s radar, and Wharton remains a principal, if not guaranteed, candidate.