Liverpool have been handed a potential transfer blow in their bid to improve their midfield this summer.
The Reds will be on a mission to improve again this summer, although they are likely to have a quieter window than last year, given they spent more than £400million in a bid to retain the Premier League title.
That bid fell very short, and Arne Slot has paid the price for it with his job. New signings will be made available to the new incoming boss, Andoni Iraola.
Liverpool midfield target could now stay
The midfield is an area Liverpool need to improve in, and especially in the pivot or holding role. Ryan Gravenberch has done well there, but there is a feeling that the Reds can get better, or at least bring in someone who can really push the Dutchman to improved performances.
Reports coming into this summer have suggested that Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton would be the ideal candidate, and it is likely the midfielder will attract plenty of attention this summer.
But whether Palace will allow him to leave remains to be seen, and their hand may now be strengthened by the fact they qualified for the Europa League thanks to their narrow Conference League final win over Rayo Vallecano this week,
And unlike last year, when they were denied entry to the Europa League due to shared ownership with Olympique Lyon, there is no longer a conflict due to John Textor selling his Eagles stake.
That increased revenue could help Palace keep hold of players like Wharton after years of selling their top players, and in any case, Jean-Philippe Mateta will be ahead of Wharton in the queue to leave the club this summer due to his contract entering its final year.
Palace were also strengthened by the sale of Marc Guehi in the winter window, and so they will not feel pressured to sell. That could lead to Liverpool missing out, or it could lead to them paying an eye-watering amount to get the deal over the line, but neither scenario is ideal.
The Reds will have other targets in case Wharton doesn't work out, but there are few Premier League proven top-level defensive midfielders in existence.
The alternative could be looking at someone like Bayern Munich's Leon Goretzka, who is available for free this summer, to fill the gap until Wharton becomes available at a better price.
Shearer on Wharton at Anfield
Pundit Alan Shearer once described Wharton as 'really impressive' after his 2024 performance at Anfield for Palace. He said: "When I was at Blackburn, six or seven weeks ago, they told me about the transfer.
"They said they had to sell him for obvious reasons. They felt as if Palace had got a great deal. They wanted to and needed to get more for him but such was the need to sell. They said Palace got him on the cheap. I understand why today. I've been watching him and he's been really impressive.
"Today he was, without doubt, he ran that midfield. When you consider who he was against and the fact it was at Anfield. That's a pretty big thing to say but he was outstanding."
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