Adam Wharton Transfer News: Both Liverpool and Chelsea have registered serious interest in Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, according to an exclusive report from TEAMtalk. The 22-year-old had an exceptional 2025/26 campaign, clocking 51 appearances, scoring once and laying off seven assists while helping Palace lift the Conference League, FA Cup, and Community Shield.
Adam Wharton Transfer News: Liverpool and Chelsea Want £78m Palace Star Adam Wharton but Deadline Makes It Near Impossible
Adam Wharton transfer news has accelerated fast, with Palace reportedly slapping a £78 million valuation on the player whose contract doesn’t expire until 2029. Palace have made their position crystal clear that they don’t want to sell, especially this late in the window. Liverpool see Wharton as the structural answer to the gap left by Curtis Jones, who departed for Inter Milan.
Chelsea, meanwhile, want him to cover the role vacated by Enzo Fernández, heavily linked with a £140 million move to Manchester City. City also retain a background interest in Wharton, though strictly as a fallback if the Fernández deal collapses before Tuesday.
Honest opinion:
Wharton is a rare left-footed, press-resistant deep-lying playmaker averaging 7.1 progressive passes per 90, completing passes in the top 92nd percentile under central pressure, with 82 tackles and 41 interceptions last season. He is a world-class profile, genuinely, but the timing here makes any late move a structural gamble for the player himself.
Neither club will get him. Not this week. Palace built their entire 2026/27 tactical shape around Wharton, and Steve Parish has zero financial pressure to fold. Chelsea can’t even submit a formal bid until the Fernández-to-City deal gets signed. That multi-club domino chain has no room left to resolve itself before September 1.
Read: Chelsea told to make one crucial signing before deadline day
Liverpool, having just committed £123 million to sign Bradley Barcola from PSG, simply aren’t in a position to enter a panicked £78 million bidding war right now. Andoni Iraola still has Gravenberch, Mac Allister, and Szoboszlai available in central areas. Adam Wharton transfer news will resurface next summer, almost certainly.
