Arne Slot has a wealth of quality at his disposal, having overseen – alongside sporting director Richard Hughes – a series of exciting signings at Liverpool this summer.

While there have been departures from last season’s Premier League-winning squad, FSG have green-lit a flurry of activity over the past several months that has seen the British record broken upon the completion of the £116m deal to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen.

Hugo Ekitike has also joined for £79m, starting strongly with goals in both of his opening fixtures in Red. The full-backs have shown promise, and Giorgi Mamardashvili could star between the sticks when the fateful day of Alisson’s departure does come.

But Liverpool lacked something across the first week of the campaign, failing to muster the elegant coherence that defined their maiden term in Slot’s system. The attack is yet to click, while Virgil van Dijk’s defence looks light even with the £26m signing of Parma’s Giovanni Leoni, 18.

Of course, Ryan Gravenberch is in contention after missing the first couple of games this season due to suspension and the birth of his first child, and his return will solve the central imbalance.

The importance of an elite deep-lying midfielder cannot be understated. Slot knows this, but his two most notable targets as the market enters the final stretch are located in other areas of the field.

The latest Liverpool transfer news

Sadly, not much has changed on the Alexander Isak front. Newcastle United haven’t signed one striker, let alone two, and that needs to happen if they are to allow their wantaway talisman to leave Anfield, as is his desire.

Who knows what will happen across the closing week of the transfer window? Isak is Liverpool’s top target, but it’s crucial that the Reds aren’t blinkered in their chase, for if they don’t land the Sweden international, it’s crucial that they sign an alternative.

Equally, a deal for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi must be wrapped up before the end of the month. Ibrahima Konate has entered the final year of his contract and has looked shaky so far this term.

The Selhurst Park side are tricky negotiators, it must be said, but FSG are confident that they will get it done: Guehi wants the move to Anfield, and the £40m price tag has dipped to £35m, though that is still above Liverpool’s valuation.

So then, a striker and a centre-back. That would tie the bow on a sensational transfer window, just so. However, there’s yet another earmarked man who would make this a transcendental window for Slot’s project.

Liverpool ready late-window transfer move

According to Spanish outlet AS, via Sport Witness, Real Madrid’s interest in Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton is getting stronger.

However, Los Blancos aren’t alone in the race, with Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United all keen too.

The Red Devils are felt to have the strongest intrigue at this stage, having failed in their bid to sign Carlos Baleba from Brighton & Hove Albion.

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The Eagles would demand €80m (£69m) if they were to part with their young maestro, and it would seem that all four European giants are not deterred by the lofty price tag.

Why Liverpool want to sign Wharton

Wharton is but a hatchling on the Premier League scene, but he’s belied his youth and inexperience right from the get-go, starring across the latter half of 2023/24 before playing his part in winning last season’s FA Cup, then, of course, the Community Shield against Liverpool.

Found in the anchoring area of the midfield, Wharton has a natural ease on the ball and an eye for a far-flung pass that invariably finds its man. He’s been described as a “passing machine” by journalist Henry Winter.

Thanks to data from FBref, we can record that Wharton ranks among the top 6% of centre-midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues for shot-creating actions, the top 9% for progressive passes and the top 5% for ball recoveries per 90.

Shot-creating actions are pieces of play that lead to a shot. These include moments such as a pass, take-on or foul being drawn.

That last statistic is particularly striking. The 21-year-old is not just a ball-playing expert, albeit in his infancy, but he’s a high-level athlete too, covering plenty of ground and chipping in with iron-solid defensive contributions too.

Wharton could revolutionise Slot’s Liverpool, his skill set aligning perfectly with the way the boss wants to play. Fluency would be threaded back into a firm ball at the heart of the system, and Liverpool’s transitional play would improve.

The success of striking a massive package for the one-time Blackburn Rovers prospect might even prove to be a more exciting deal than the arrival of Ekitike, even after the French forward’s resounding start.

Wharton, even at this stage of his career, is shining, and though injuries had an adverse effect on his recent Premier League campaign, his initial foray into the top flight the year before showcases how he could become the cream of Slot’s crop, even rivalling Gravenberch’s triumph as the nucleus for last year’s title winners.

Matches (starts)

16 (15)

37 (37)

Goals

0

0

Assists

3

4

Touches*

49.6

66.5

Pass completion

81%

89%

Big chances created

5

3

Key passes*

1.3

0.9

Dribble success

60%

1.0

Ball recoveries*

5.3

5.2

Tackles + interceptions*

4.3

3.5

Duels (won)*

4.9 (54%)

5.0 (57%)

It’s not unjust to claim that Wharton’s first steps in the Premier League echo the success of 2024/25 Young Player of the Year Gravenberch.

How exciting is that? Slot could bring the Englishman to a level that is higher still, maybe even seeing him play a role more influential and captivating than Ekitike, who, for all his brilliance, may well play second fiddle to Isak in a few weeks.

It might also be worth noting that, after two matches in a Liverpool shirt, Ekitike boasts an identical record to Darwin Nunez after his big-money signing: two games, two goals, one assist.

Perhaps bringing both Isak and Wharton over to Merseyside in the closing weeks of the transfer window is a little too much. In all likelihood, Palace chairman Steve Parish will fight tooth and nail to resist official approaches for his silky midfielder.

But Liverpool’s interest is real, and if Wharton does end up in Liverpool colours, he could become a superstar under Slot’s wing, heading to the top of the game and maybe even leapfrogging Ekitike as the club’s most exciting up-and-comer.