Liverpool should hijack Real Madrid move for £100m baller despite brutal ‘miles off’ pundit assessment

Liverpool’s season has not started the way many fans expected. The excitement that filled Anfield when Arne Slot walked into the club as the new manager has slowly turned into quiet questions. Questions about the system, about the rhythm, and about why this Liverpool team, which looked full of energy and potential in the summer, still feels like a car engine that keeps coughing before it starts properly. The midfield that once looked full of ideas now seems to be searching for something — a missing piece, a brain, a player who can connect everything. And maybe, just maybe, that missing piece is a young man called Adam Wharton.

Real Madrid have already noticed him. They don’t usually waste time watching players who aren’t special. When Madrid’s scouts start turning up at Selhurst Park, you know something big is happening. But while the Spanish giants are preparing their next Galáctico move, Liverpool cannot afford to sit and watch. They have spent big this summer, yes. But football is not about how much you spend; it’s about what you spend it on. And Wharton, right now, might be the type of midfielder Liverpool are crying out for — the kind who makes a team tick, who gives the ball and makes everyone else look better.

Arne Slot knows his midfield is still finding balance. Alexis Mac Allister, the calm Argentine, hasn’t looked fully fit since the season started. Dominik Szoboszlai, who was supposed to be a creative heartbeat, has been pushed to right-back too often because of injuries in defense. Ryan Gravenberch has been the bright spark, playing with confidence and power, showing flashes of the promise that once made him a Bayern Munich wonderkid. Curtis Jones too has played with responsibility and trust. But still, something feels missing — that silent conductor who turns chaos into rhythm.

Liverpool once had that in Thiago Alcântara when he was fit, but those days are gone. Now, Slot’s midfield has legs, it has energy, but it doesn’t have that one player who can keep the game calm when the storm begins. That’s what Wharton does for Crystal Palace. Only 21 years old, yet he plays with the composure of a man who’s been in the Premier League for ten years. He moves the ball with purpose. He doesn’t rush. He knows when to slow the game down and when to push it forward. For Palace, he’s the pulse.

Against Liverpool, Slot saw it firsthand. Wharton never looked flustered. Every time he got the ball, he seemed to know exactly what to do before it even touched his boots. That’s what makes him special. That’s what makes Real Madrid interested. And that’s exactly what should make Liverpool act fast.

In football, you don’t wait for your rivals to build what you need. You move before they do. You show ambition before others make it impossible. Real Madrid have been circling young Premier League talents for a while now, and Wharton fits their model perfectly — young, technically excellent, English, and mentally sharp. But Liverpool have an advantage that Madrid don’t. They can offer Wharton a quicker path to being a key player, not a squad project. They can make him feel like the heartbeat of a team being rebuilt under Slot.

Imagine him between Gravenberch and Szoboszlai, or with Mac Allister sitting deeper to free him. Imagine him picking passes to Salah, Luis Díaz, or Darwin Núñez. That’s the kind of midfield balance Liverpool fans dream about — one where control meets chaos. But there’s a problem. The price tag.

£100 million. That’s the figure being whispered around Selhurst Park. It’s the kind of number that makes clubs hesitate. It’s the kind of number that made Chelsea pay for Caicedo and made Arsenal pay for Declan Rice. But in this market, if you want the best young English players, you must be ready to pay the price. The question is not whether Wharton is worth £100 million right now. The question is what he could be worth in three years.

Liverpool have spent heavily on Darwin Núñez, Dominik Szoboszlai, and others in recent windows, but the midfield still doesn’t feel like it has a Rodri, a Pedri, or a Kroos-type player — someone who controls everything. That kind of player is not easy to find. But Wharton looks like he could become that. His awareness, his passing, and his calmness all point towards something rare in English football — a true metronome.

Every big team needs one. Manchester City have Rodri, and when he’s not playing, they look lost. Barcelona have Pedri and Gavi, and even Real Madrid’s recent success has been built on midfield balance — from Modric and Kroos to the new blood of Bellingham and Camavinga. Liverpool once had Henderson and Wijnaldum controlling the tempo. Now, they have energy but not rhythm.

That’s why Wharton could be the answer.

But of course, not everyone agrees. Troy Deeney, the former Watford striker turned pundit, has poured cold water on the hype. Speaking on The Football Exchange, he didn’t hold back. “I could be wrong,” he said, “but I’m not sold yet on Adam Wharton. He’s a nice player, moves really well. But for £100 million? Not yet. He’s nowhere near his ceiling. I’ve watched Pedri, I’ve seen Caicedo, and I’ve seen Rice. Wharton is miles off that.”

Miles off. Those were his exact words.

For some, that kind of statement would hurt. But for others, it only adds motivation. Wharton doesn’t seem like the kind of player who cares about noise. He lets his football talk. He’s not flashy, he doesn’t chase highlight clips. He’s the player you only notice properly when he’s not on the pitch — when suddenly everything feels slower and more difficult. That’s what makes him different.

And that’s what Liverpool must see.

They’ve been here before — missing out on players because they moved too late. Remember Aurélien Tchouaméni? The French midfielder who was supposed to join Liverpool before Real Madrid swooped in. He was exactly the type of player they needed then. Now, they can’t afford to watch the same story unfold again. Wharton might not be at Madrid’s level yet, but that’s exactly why Liverpool should move now — before he becomes untouchable.

Slot’s Liverpool is a project still taking shape. The manager wants to build a team that dominates with the ball, that presses with intelligence, and that doesn’t panic when under pressure. For that, he needs a pivot. Someone who can always be available to receive the ball, who can give the defenders confidence and give the attackers the right service. Wharton fits that mold perfectly.

You can tell by the way he moves. Always scanning. Always ready to offer an option. When Palace defenders look up, they don’t panic — they know he’ll be there, open, calm, asking for the ball. That’s what makes him a modern deep-lying playmaker. It’s not about flashy skills. It’s about control.

And that’s what Liverpool lack most right now — control.

Even in games they win, they often look stretched. They play with heart, yes, but sometimes without rhythm. Wharton could fix that. He’s the kind of player who can turn ten seconds of chaos into ten seconds of peace. The kind who can turn a risky pass into a simple one.

Arne Slot has spoken about “trust in possession.” He wants his players to feel comfortable keeping the ball under pressure. That’s exactly the kind of quality Wharton brings. He’s press-resistant, calm, and brave. He doesn’t just pass sideways — he progresses the ball. And for a Liverpool team that wants to control matches rather than chase them, that’s gold.

The only problem is timing. With Real Madrid’s eyes already on him, the window for Liverpool to act is closing fast. Madrid can outspend almost anyone. But Liverpool can outsmart them — by convincing Wharton that Anfield is the perfect stage to grow.

He wouldn’t just be another name in a list of superstars. He’d be a core part of a new chapter. The same way Jude Bellingham has become Madrid’s heart, Wharton could become Liverpool’s brain.

For Slot, that kind of player changes everything. It allows Mac Allister to play higher. It gives Szoboszlai freedom. It gives the defense comfort. It gives the team rhythm.

Some pundits will keep saying he’s not ready, but that’s how it always starts. People once said Declan Rice wasn’t ready when he broke through at West Ham. They said the same about Bellingham when he left Birmingham. Now look at them. Wharton could be the next in line — the one everyone doubts before they applaud.

Liverpool’s transfer strategy under Michael Edwards and the data team has always been about spotting potential before it becomes expensive. That’s how they found Salah, Mané, and Robertson. Wharton fits that tradition. Yes, he’s £100m now, but in this market, that’s what top English talent costs. The question is: can Liverpool afford not to sign him?

Because every time Wharton plays, his value rises. Every pass, every calm turn, every smart tackle — it all adds millions. The longer Liverpool wait, the harder it gets. Real Madrid don’t hesitate when they see a gem. And if they sign him, he’ll be gone for good.

This is the moment for Liverpool to be bold again. The way they were when they signed Virgil van Dijk. The way they were when they brought in Alisson. Those moves changed everything. Wharton could be the next bold move — the one that makes the midfield complete again.

Because behind all the noise, one truth stands clear: Liverpool need control. They need someone who can link defense to attack with calm precision. Someone who can give Arne Slot’s new Liverpool a heartbeat. And while pundits debate, Real Madrid plan, and Palace hold on, the question remains — will Liverpool act before it’s too late?

The world is watching. The future is waiting. And somewhere in South London, a young midfielder keeps playing with quiet brilliance, proving week after week that the only thing “miles off” is the pundit’s opinion.