Manchester United are preparing a £66 million raid to sign Crystal Palace starlet Adam Wharton to “revamp” Ruben Amorim’s midfield, according to a report.
Spanish outlet Fichajes contends the Red Devils are “seriously considering” the 21-year-old midfielder as a key target this summer to replace Christian Eriksen.
Eriksen, 32, is out-of-contract at the end of the season and will almost certainly leave Old Trafford on a free transfer.
Similarly, the club are keen to offload fellow 32-year-old midfielder Casemiro whose physical decline over the past eighteen months has left the Brazilian desperately short on legs but still extremely high on wages.
Wharton’s Rapid Rise
Wharton – signed from Blackburn Rovers in the January window last year after an impressive season in the Championship – enjoyed a stellar first six months at Selhurst Park.
The all-action midfielder’s performances for Palace were so impressive he was even included in the England squad for the Euros in the summer by Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate.
They also put a number of the Premier League’s biggest clubs on red-alert over a potential move for Wharton, whose combination of technical quality and physicality make him well-suited to a wide range of systems and roles in the middle of the pitch.
Wharton’s status as a homegrown player is another attractive attribute to England’s elite.
The Ideal Target
United’s midfield unit needs a comprehensive overhaul with only Manuel Ugarte – who played under Amorim for Sporting CP – feeling a comfortable fit in the Portuguese coach’s 3-4-2-1 set-up.
Kobbie Mainoo has struggled to impose himself in the formation when deployed in midfield. Amorim appears to have found more success with the 19-year-old academy graduate being stationed further forward, with club captain Bruno Fernandes sitting deeper to help progress the ball.
However, this is an awkward fit as it creates distance between Fernandes and the opposition goal at a point when United are desperately short on threat and creativity in the forward line.
The acquisition of Wharton would, in part, solve this issue as it would allow the 30-year-old Portuguese international to return to the attack and provide a more complimentary partner to Ugarte.
Fichajes reveals the Red Devils are considering a bid worth €80 million (£66 million) – a considerable fee but one which would constitute a long-term investment in a position of weakness at Old Trafford.
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
