Liverpool Urged to Sign Adam Wharton as Midfield Options Dwindle

Phil Thompson has called on Liverpool to throw their weight behind a move for Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton – and warned that going into the new season with their current options would be a major gamble.

Midfield stretched as Jones heads for Milan

Curtis Jones is on his way to Inter Milan, a move that strips another layer from Liverpool’s midfield just days before the 2026/27 campaign begins at St. James’ Park against Newcastle.

As it stands, Andoni Iraola will walk into that opener with only three senior central midfielders: Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch.

Szoboszlai carried Liverpool’s midfield last season, earning the club’s men’s player of the year award. Mac Allister and Gravenberch went the other way. Both saw their levels dip under Arne Slot, leaving question marks hanging over a department already light on numbers.

For a side expecting to play a heavy schedule under a manager renowned for high-intensity football, that lack of depth looks alarming.

Thompson: Liverpool must move for Wharton

Wharton has hovered on Liverpool’s radar for some time. Manchester City recently tested Palace’s resolve with an inquiry for the England international and were quickly shut down.

Palace want to keep him. Thompson thinks Liverpool should test that resolve anyway.

Speaking on the BOYLE Sports and Footy Accumulators podcast, “No Tippy Tappy Football”, the former Liverpool defender made his stance clear.

“Adam Wharton is a player that I would be interested in signing for Liverpool,” he said, questioning why no club has made a decisive move for the 22-year-old during this window.

Thompson highlighted Wharton’s character as much as his talent, stressing the importance of “good sort” personalities in a dressing room and suggesting the midfielder fits that bill. In his view, the Palace academy product is likely to be the next major sale out of Selhurst Park, with the London club traditionally cashing in on at least one star asset for big money each year.

Iraola’s rebuild still looks incomplete

While the Wharton debate rumbles on, Liverpool’s business has not stood still. Iraola has three new signings available for the trip to Newcastle: defenders Jeremy Jacquet and Ronald Araujo, plus winger Victor Munoz.

The headline pursuit remains Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola, with that saga still unresolved. Yet Thompson believes Liverpool’s work in the market has barely started if they are serious about chasing the game’s elite.

“Liverpool still need four, maybe five, players in different positions,” he said, pinpointing defence as a clear area of concern and calling for at least one more midfielder and another wide player. His benchmark is simple: two high-quality options for every position.

Liverpool spent heavily last season and drew scrutiny for it, but Thompson pointed to the financial muscle and global reach of clubs like Liverpool and Manchester United, whose worldwide tours underline their status as two of the sport’s commercial powerhouses.

The message is blunt. If Liverpool want to live in that bracket on the pitch, not just off it, they cannot afford to start a relentless season with a midfield one injury away from crisis – and that’s where Adam Wharton enters the conversation.