Adam Wharton has already told Liverpool his non-negotiables for next club | Football | Sport

Yet the Reds are one of several Premier League heavyweights reportedly monitoring the player’s situation. Wharton, 21, joined Palace from Blackburn Rovers in February 2024 and has rapidly emerged as one of England’s most exciting talents. And he appears determined to maintain that upward trajectory, having previously identified Champions League football as the natural progression in his career. Speaking to Sky Sports in October, he said: “Champions League, if you can play in it, you want to. I want to play as many games as I can in the Premier League and try reach the highest level possible. There is a World Cup in the summer, and everyone wants to play in it.”

Liverpool’s prospects of securing Champions League qualification for next season suffered a blow on Saturday following their dramatic late defeat at Bournemouth. Slot’s men have now dropped to sixth in the table and are without a win in their last five Premier League matches.

To his credit, Wharton attempts to avoid getting caught up in speculation about his future and potential suitors. Indeed, it’s often relatives or mates who keep him informed about possible career developments.

“I don’t really look into it or think too much about it,” he said in November. “There are always rumours floating about on social media. Is it true? Is it not? You tell me. My friends, my family, my brothers, everyone will message me and be like, ‘Is it true this club’s interested?’ I’m like, ‘Thanks for telling me because I didn’t know.'”

He added: “I don’t know who’s spreading it or who at United is looking at it. I see it and I’m like, ‘OK’, and then I carry on with my day. United, the big teams, they’re all linked to 10, 20 different players. If I’m one of 20, then it’s nothing special, so it doesn’t really mean too much. I speak with my agent about planning ahead and possibilities.

“But at the end of the day, it is who’s interested and who’s willing to try and get you and if that becomes the case? You can speak about it, but you’ve got to represent that on the pitch and prove that you deserve it.”

Those remarks are a sign of the same understated humility that has brought Wharton to this stage in his career. Maintaining focus and letting his performances speak for themselves hasn’t proved a bad strategy thus far after all.