Liverpool Target Wharton as Curtis Jones Heads to Inter
Liverpool’s midfield is on the brink of another reshuffle. Curtis Jones is Milan-bound, and attention at Anfield has snapped firmly onto Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton.
The Reds have agreed to sell Jones to Inter Milan in a deal worth around €35m, according to Fabrizio Romano, who delivered his trademark “here we go” on Wednesday. The midfielder has already been filmed arriving in Milan as he closes in on the move, with a medical planned and personal terms agreed.
Jones’ exit is the latest step in a summer of sharp, targeted business on Merseyside. Victor Munoz has arrived permanently from Osasuna, Jeremy Jacquet has joined from Rennes, and Ronald Araujo has been brought in on a season-long loan from Barcelona to bolster the back line.
The big attacking rebuild is still ongoing. Liverpool are locked in talks with Paris Saint-Germain over winger Bradley Barcola, a pursuit that has dragged on for weeks as the clubs wrestle over terms. Andoni Iraola, tasked with reshaping the side after the departure of Mohamed Salah to Trabzonspor, has made refreshing the forward line a clear priority.
Now the midfield domino has fallen. Jones is out. Wharton is in Liverpool’s sights.
Iraola gives green light for Wharton push
According to Caught Offside, Liverpool are “targeting an ambitious move” for Wharton as a direct response to Jones’ departure. The club are described as ready to accelerate their pursuit of the 22-year-old Crystal Palace midfielder, with sources close to the agency world indicating the Reds see him as a key piece in their next evolution.
Crucially, Iraola has “approved” the idea. He views Wharton as a deep-lying controller, someone who can dictate tempo from the base of midfield and free Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai to attack with greater freedom higher up the pitch.
That vision makes sense. Wharton’s rise over the last year has been rapid: half a season in the Championship, a seamless step into the Premier League with Crystal Palace, and then a place on the plane with England for Euro 2024.
There is a problem, though. Palace do not want to sell.
The Eagles value Wharton at around £78m and are reluctant to lose him this summer. Any negotiation will be bruising. Liverpool would need to decide whether to push towards that figure or test Palace’s resolve with a structured offer, knowing the London club hold a strong hand with a prized young asset tied down and thriving.
Rice’s glowing verdict underlines the appeal
Inside the England camp, Wharton has already earned heavyweight admirers. Declan Rice, speaking in June 2024, did not hold back when asked about his new international team-mate.
“He’s been outstanding,” Rice said. “In training, he impressed a lot of the players. He’s so composed and calm on the ball. He played his first half of the season in the Championship, he’s [come into the England team] from Crystal Palace now.”
Rice highlighted Wharton’s left foot and passing quality, calling his distribution “really crisp” and describing him as a grounded, hungry player who “wants to learn.” At just 20 at the time, Wharton was already on the biggest stage, part of England’s squad for his first European Championships.
“You know, he’ll be ready when called upon,” Rice added, pointing to Wharton’s composure and refusal to be fazed by the occasion. He grouped Wharton with Kobbie Mainoo as evidence that “the future is looking bright for England in midfield.”
Those words will not have gone unnoticed at Liverpool. A young, technically secure, mentally robust midfielder who can anchor games and grow with a new-look side ticks just about every box in their recruitment model.
The question now is simple and brutal: how far are Liverpool prepared to go to turn that admiration into a deal, and will Crystal Palace even open the door?
