United ready to battle Real Madrid for sensational 21-yo PL midfield magician, would transform Amorim’s side – report

Manchester United need legs in midfield with the current options not to Ruben Amorim’s liking while injuries have robbed him of the chance to play players who are most suited to his system.

With Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount out injured, the Portuguese was forced to start Christian Eriksen in the FA Cup defeat to Fulham on Sunday and the Dane simply does not have the legs to contribute for the full 90 minutes.

And despite a decent cameo, Casemiro also falls in the same category with the United head coach disappointed with the haphazard recruitment which has led to such an imbalanced squad.

He is keen on revamping the midfield and as recently relayed by The Peoples Person, Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton is a top target ahead of the summer window.

Wharton is a long-term target

The 21-year-old has been on the club’s radar since his Blackburn Rovers days and there were murmurs that an approach was on the cards.

However, a groin injury and subsequent surgery saw the midfielder miss 16 games in all competitions and the Red Devils adopted a wait-and-watch policy to see how he fared after returning from the setback.

And as expected, the England international has shone for the Eagles, winning Man of The Match for his splendid show against Aston Villa recently.

And as per The Daily Mail, the Englishman’s form has caught the attention of Real Madrid, thereby making it harder for the Red Devils to win the race.

“Real Madrid scouts have checked on Adam Wharton since his return to first-team action at Crystal Palace. Juni Calafat, chief scout with the Spanish giants, is a confirmed admirer of the 21-year-old England international and Madrid staff have been sent to monitor the Palace midfielder’s progress.

Real Madrid also enter the race

“Wharton, who is expected to be named in Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad, has recently returned to action after a longer than expected spell out following hernia surgery.

“Manchester United and Liverpool are also among Wharton’s admirers while Madrid will continue to monitor his progress as they consider options ahead of the summer.”

Palace parted with £18 million to land him last year but he is now valued at around £70 million, a fee INEOS would find hard to cough up.

Wharton can play all across the midfield and a partnership with Mainoo would have solved a lot of Amorim’s problems. Whether the club can beat Real and win the race remains to be seen.

Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social