Manchester United are looking to strengthen their midfield and are eyeing the Premier League star, whose talent Red Devils manager Ruben Amorim has become a big fan of.
Manchester United are planning to splash out a £60m transfer fee for Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton, with club leaders believing a regional bid would be enough for the Eagles to offload the much-needed playmaker.
The Red Devils were unable to strengthen their midfield last summer, even though this was one of their priorities, but this season, manager Ruben Amorim’s preferred combination of Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes has been attracting attention, and they are planning to strengthen their midfield for next season.
According to the Daily Star, Amorim has been closely monitoring Wharton’s progress at Selhurst Park and has become a big fan of the midfielder. And the Portuguese manager is said to believe the talented 21-year-old has the technical ability to be a huge success at United.
The paper adds that both Koby Mainu and Casemiro are expected to leave Old Trafford. The former has not made a start in the Premier League this season, and while Casemiro’s contract expires next year, he could be loaned to Napoli in January.
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Wharton has made remarkable progress over the past two years and is one of the Premier League’s hottest talents. Wharton, a United target, went on to become one of Blackburn’s top stars before joining Crystal Palace from the Lancashire club for £18 million in February 2024. Wharton quickly established himself in the Premier League and earned a place in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the Euros that summer.
The midfield ace then earned an integral role at Palace under manager Oliver Glasner, winning the FA Cup and qualifying for European football. Wharton’s reputation continues to grow.
United opted to spend £200m up front this summer, adding Benjamin Sesco, Brian Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha to the squad in a bid to solve their scoring woes. And now an early effort is being planned to tempt Palace to part with their most promising star, who was already linked with a move in August.
The Eagles have proven willing to part with top talent for the right price. Over the summer, they sold Eberechi Eze to Arsenal in a deal worth £67.5 million, while Michael Oliseh left for Bayern Munich 12 months ago.
Amorim may find themselves lacking a midfielder by the end of the season. Napoli are confident of signing Maynou on loan in January after he, like Wharton, has made a meteoric rise in their bid to qualify for Euro 2024.
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