United’s pursuit of “genius” playmaker under threat as Real Madrid jump queue with record-breaking offer – report

Manchester United’s pursuit of Adam Wharton is under serious threat after Real Madrid’s decision to go all-in on the 22-year-old midfielder this summer, according to the latest report. Midfield Rebuild The Red Devils are searching for two new midfielders following the decision not to extend Casemiro’s stay at Old Trafford and due to the lack of improvement shown by Manuel Ugarte. Kobbie Mainoo has been revitalised under caretaker coach Michael Carrick, having spent the first half of the season frozen out by Ruben Amorim. However, the Carrington graduate remains a 20-year-old player who is still developing, both physically and tactically. With United certain to return to European football next season, whether it be the Champions League or the Europa League, more quality is needed in the engine room to prevent the team from stalling. The club’s primary target is Elliot Anderson, though competition will be fierce for the 23-year-old Nottingham Forest talisman. Carlos Baleba remains high on the radar after last summer’s failed pursuit of the Brighton and Cameroon enforcer. Wharton – the Crystal Palace midfield maestro – is the third leading contender at Old Trafford, with the England international expected to leave Selhurst Park this summer after a turbulent campaign for the Eagles. If the push for Anderson proves unsuccessful, with Manchester City considered the frontrunners, Wharton should become a more important target than Baleba, given the technical superiority he holds over the Brighton man. If anything, the pair offer a complementary partnership as they are both strong where the other is weak. However, Wharton’s deep-lying playmaking abilities offer a rare profile in modern football, putting him on the wish list of a number of elite clubs – with Real Madrid chief among them. Madrid prepare big-money raid Madrid have a long-standing interest in Wharton as the Spanish giants continue to contend with the loss of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric in recent years. While elite talents like Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde have taken the legendary pair’s place at the Bernabeu, these players lack the ability to dictate a game in the same way. This led Madrid to identify Wharton as a potential solution, given the Englishman’s growing ability to control the pace of his team’s play with outstanding first-time passes forward. However, Los Blancos were believed to consider Palace’s valuation – upwards of £100 million – to be exorbitant for a player with limited experience on football’s biggest stages. This gave United an edge as the Mancunian club would be prepared to make that investment on a Premier League-proven option in midfield. But, according to a new report relayed by Football365, Madrid are “now willing to pay” £87m to bring him to LaLiga this summer. “Real Madrid’s interest is not seen as just any ordinary move. In fact, it’s a player Xabi Alonso had already requested, a move the club rejected. However, now, seeing that there’s an abundance of muscle and a lack of talent in the Real Madrid midfield, those at the Bernabeu are clear that they must go all out for a playmaker like Adam Wharton, despite his high price tag.” “Furthermore, his profile fits perfectly into one of the areas that Real Madrid continues to monitor closely: improving the quality of the midfield. The team lacks organisation, and in that respect, few players can offer what Wharton does.” Final Thoughts If United are to miss out on both Anderson and Wharton, it would constitute a devastating blow to the club’s summer plans. The fact that the Red Devils have the easiest path towards signing Baleba is precisely because the Cameroon international’s level is far below that of his two Premier League competitors. Manchester City and Madrid do not spend big on players with his technical ability, or lack thereof. INEOS cannot allow two of Europe’s elite to muscle in on deals for two midfielders who look born to wear the hallowed red shirt. They must pay up and force their rivals to shut up in the process. The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Darragh Fox Darragh is an editor for The Peoples Person who spent three years learning about the Cold War at the University of Sheffield slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about. Amad’s first touch should be officially recognised as the eighth wonder of the world.