Liverpool’s summer midfield business appears to be crystallising, and it isn’t the name many expected a few weeks ago. According to Football Transfers, Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton has become the club’s clear priority in the middle of the park, with interest in Wolves’ Joao Gomes now shelved. Not long ago Gomes looked like the frontrunner, and there were strong indications his camp had all but agreed personal terms for a move to Anfield. That makes the reversal all the more interesting.
A Change of Plan in Midfield
Talks over Gomes are said to have progressed well, with the player himself understood to be keen on the switch. Yet somewhere in that process, Liverpool’s recruitment staff changed course, deciding a different profile suited what Andoni Iraola wants from his midfield under Richard Hughes’ sporting direction. It’s a decision that says as much about the club’s thinking as it does about either player.
Getting Wharton out of Selhurst Park will not be straightforward, either. Palace are reported to value him at well over £100m and have shown no urgency to sell, content to keep one of the Premier League’s most coveted young midfielders for another season if it comes to that. It’s a substantial fee for any midfielder, let alone one still building his reputation at the very top end of the game, and it will test how far Liverpool are prepared to go.
Palace Won’t Make It Easy
Meanwhile Gomes hasn’t been short of suitors elsewhere, with Aston Villa reportedly closing in on a deal worth around £35m. Letting him move to a direct rival while Liverpool wait on a pricier target might look risky on the surface, but it also signals real conviction in the alternative plan.
There’s a case for feeling reassured by this. If Hughes and Iraola have looked closely at both midfielders and concluded Wharton offers more of what this Liverpool side needs, composure on the ball, control of tempo, the kind of positional intelligence that’s been missing at times, then a period of patience, and even a bit of controversy, is worth it. Wharton, when fit, has looked like one of the most rounded young midfielders in the country, comfortable receiving under pressure and dictating games rather than simply screening the back four.
Our Opinion
The financial side will still concern plenty of supporters. Spending in excess of £100m on a player yet to captain a top four side or feature regularly in Europe’s biggest games is a considerable gamble, even by modern Premier League standards. But Liverpool’s business over the past year suggests the hierarchy is prepared to back its own judgement on players it believes in, and this looks like another example of that approach.
Gomes, for what it’s worth, would have walked into most midfields in the country and delivered energy and physicality from day one. Turning that down for a more expensive, less proven alternative won’t sit comfortably with everyone. But recruitment isn’t about taking the safest option, it’s about identifying who fits the long term picture, and if Liverpool are convinced Wharton is that player, the club should back itself to get the deal done.
For now, all eyes turn to Selhurst Park. Whether Liverpool can find a way to make the numbers work remains the only real question left.