Adam Wharton: The man to succeed Trent Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool | OneFootball

It’s official then.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is leaving Liverpool.

While losing him is a blow, it does make life a little easier now. We know, at last, what is required this summer. The Reds desperately need a progressive player added to their ranks to help with first phase build-up. It’s as simple as that. With the No66 departing, Arne Slot needs someone within his ranks to move the ball from the defensive third of the pitch to the attacking third.

We’ve had a glimpse over recent weeks at how things look without the England international in the starting XI. I’ve written about it a few times and though the sample size isn’t the largest, Liverpool’s Expected Goals haul dropped significantly when he was sidelined with injury.

Slot won’t be blind to this. I think he knew this was an issue during pre-season. It’s why, despite wanting to assess the squad, he was more than happy for Richard Hughes to push for Martin Zubimendi. Now, I wasn’t a huge fan of his, I worried about his physical profile in the Premier League, one thing he is brilliant at is moving the ball from A to B. He could break the lines, find players in space and progress the ball.

Liverpool now need someone with that sort of profile again.

Zubimendi is off the agenda. Adam Wharton, however, might not be. I’m still not sure if he’ll be sold this summer. Crystal Palace are likely going to want £100million for the 21-year-old. According to recent reports, they’re using the fees spent on Delcan Rice and Moises Caicedo as a benchmark for their playmaker and, you know what, I can’t blame them.

He’s homegrown, Premier League proven and he’s left-footed. All of these come with a premium. Combine that with the fact he’s still just 21 and you can understand why the Eagles want a club-record fee for him.

Wharton is a special midfielder. He has a rare profile for a homegrown star in the sense he’s always looking to progress play. He’s not risk averse. The No20 isn’t banking on his pass success rate being 90% or above. His main aim is to move the ball, and keep it moving.

Speaking to Scouted Football in 2024, he said: "I love wrapping passes through to the number ten so they can turn and drive at the defence - maybe more than a goal or an assist. (I love watching) De Jong, I like how he plays. Busquets manages to make everything look simple with one or two touches - I think Rodri at Man City would be a more current comparison."

“You need to be brave on the ball, you have to demand it from your centre-backs, but means you are pressed more intensely. You have to be more progressive in your passing, you can see the pitch from another viewpoint and naturally, that affects the way you play.”

He practices what he preaches. This term, he’s averaged 7.5 progressive passes per 90 in the Premier League. For context, that is more than Gravenberch (5.1) and Alexis Mac Allister (5.9) have averaged for Liverpool. In fact, of those who have played 10 or more 90s for the Reds in the English top-flight this term, only Alexander-Arnold (8.4) has a higher average.

If Liverpool want to add a risk-taker to their ranks, why not Wharton?

Adding the 21-year-old to their ranks changes everything for Liverpool. There’s a different way to funnel the ball to the forwards. There’s a different way to progress the ball. There’s a different way to mount attacks.

His return to fitness has coincided with an upturn in form for Palace. In the 15 matches he missed, they won just four games. In the 12 games he’s appeared in since, in the Premier League, the Eagles have racked up five wins, losing just twice. He played a significant role in the FA Cup quarter-final win over Fulham and the semi-final win over Aston Villa.

When he’s in the team, Oliver Glasner’s side are just better. It’s as simple as that. And his impact on a starting XI seems scalable and transferable. Liverpool have a lot of talent in their squad but they’re lacking someone who can dictate the tempo. Wharton changes that.

He has so many types of passes in his arsenal.

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Here, he picks up possession on the halfway line. He could just move the ball to the Palace left and keep things safe. It is the sort of pass that Aston Villa want him to play. It keeps them behind the ball.

Wharton doesn’t want this though.

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So he pings a cross field ball to Munoz on the Palace right.

Villa go from having every single player behind the ball to having to defend a dangerous situation. Palace have the ball on the right, in the final third, with three players attacking the penalty area. And this comes about because of Wharton picking out the pass.

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This is a favourite of mine. He’s given a difficult pass against Arsenal and instead of just lumping the ball forward or clipping it over the top into space, the Palace midfielder plays a smart pass into a central area to a teammate.

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He completely evades the Arsenal press and Palace are able to escape. To execute this, he checks his shoulder as the ball is coming to him and knows a teammate is in space if he can get the ball to him. It isn’t a pass that the Gunners expect and they aren’t set to stop it.

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I also like this phase of play against the Gunners. Wharton picks up possession just inside Arsenal's half. Again, he could play it back to a defender and help the team retain the ball. He doesn't, though. Instead, he backs himself and drives into space in midfield, forcing the hosts to react to this movement while creating space for others.

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Having carried the ball forward, and beaten a man, he slides a pass to Tyrick Mitchell on the Palace left. Again, Arsenal go from having a lot of men behind the ball to having to defend their box in what is a tricky situation. And, again, it all stems from Wharton.

I'm a fan. I'm sure Liverpool are also fans of Wharton. The stumbling block, of course, will be the price tag. Is there better value for money out there? Perhaps. If there's money to spend though, why not test Crystal Palace's resolve.