Manchester United have received a boost in their pursuit of exciting Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton.
The Red Devils may have bolstered their attack and their goalkeeping department in the summer, but they didn’t have much left in the coffers to land a top-notch midfielder.
Therefore, the midfield department remained almost intact, with the only difference being the departures of Christian Eriksen who saw out his contract at the end of last season, and Toby Collyer who joined West Bromwich Albion on loan.
Man United keeping tabs on Adam Wharton among others
With Casemiro blowing hot and cold, and Manuel Ugarte yet to impress, the consensus among most fans and observers is that Man Utd must absolutely prioritise the signing of a new midfielder as soon as possible.
While Carlos Baleba remains the ultimate dream, INEOS are also keeping tabs on more affordable profiles, particularly Wharton.
The 21-year-old, who has been hailed as ‘outstanding’ by his England teammate Declan Rice, has been on a steady rise since making the move from Blackburn to Palace in January 2024.
According to Ben Jacobs, the youngster has a big chance of earning a move next summer thanks to a gentleman’s agreement struck with the management of Palace who won’t stand in his way.
Wharton can leave Crystal Palace for the right price
The journalist revealed as much during his appearance on The United Stand, while also denying Liverpool’s interest in either Baleba or Wharton, insisting that the Premier League champions will likely target an attacking midfielder next summer rather than a defensive midfielder.
🗣 @JacobsBen: “My understanding with Wharton is there’s kind of a gentleman’s agreement in place allowing him to leave Crystal Palace next summer, so that’s clearly going to be one to watch.” [@UnitedStandMUFC] pic.twitter.com/1NlGdHPjeg
— The United Stand (@UnitedStandMUFC) September 25, 2025
While this latest update constitutes a boost for Man United’s hopes of landing Wharton, it should be noted that this sort of agreement could always turn sour, as evidenced by Viktor Gyokeres’ summer soap opera, and the back-and-forth media spat between the player’s agent and Sporting CP.
Moreover, one might also argue that United need a physical enforcer like Baleba in the No.6 role to complement Bruno Fernandes, while Wharton is viewed as a deep-lying playmaker.
