Liverpool's Bold Move for Adam Wharton: A Potential Swap with Harvey Elliott

Liverpool are weighing up a bold move for Adam Wharton that could drag Harvey Elliott into the middle of one of the summer’s most intriguing Premier League transfer plots.

The Anfield hierarchy, still coming to terms with life after Mohamed Salah, have made a new winger their headline priority. Yet behind that search, Fenway Sports Group are quietly trying to reshape the midfield for Andoni Iraola – and Wharton sits right at the heart of that plan.

Liverpool’s Wharton gambit

Liverpool’s interest in the Crystal Palace midfielder is no secret. They have tracked the England international for months, impressed by his poise in possession and maturity beyond his 22 years. Now, according to journalist Danny Gallagher, the club are actively exploring a deal that would send Elliott to Selhurst Park as part of a swap.

Gallagher wrote on X at 1:06pm on July 5 that Liverpool are “looking into the logistics” of Elliott joining Palace as part of an agreement for Wharton, even though Iraola still wants to assess whether the 23-year-old should be allowed to leave. If the green light comes from all sides, the move could accelerate quickly.

Elliott’s future has drifted into uncertainty. He spent the 2025/26 season on loan at Aston Villa after Arne Slot decided he did not fit into his plans. The obligatory buy clause in that deal never triggered, leaving Elliott back at Liverpool this summer and waiting on a verdict from a new manager.

Iraola, just in the door, has yet to deliver it. Liverpool, though, are clearly open to using the winger as leverage if it brings Wharton north.

Palace dig in over record sale

There is one major obstacle: Crystal Palace’s valuation.

TEAMtalk’s transfer insider Graeme Bailey revealed back in April that Palace want Wharton to become the most expensive sale in the club’s history. Sources have reiterated that stance. The asking price is set at £70m.

Palace banked £68m from Arsenal for Eberechi Eze in the summer of 2025. They now want £2m more for Wharton, a figure that underlines how highly they rate the midfielder and how determined they are not to be raided on the cheap after also losing Michael Olise and Marc Guehi in recent years.

That context explains the hard line. Journalist Pete O’Rourke suggested on July 3 that Wharton might not even sit at the very top of Iraola’s wishlist, pointing to the style of play the Spaniard implemented at Bournemouth and the fact that other clubs have already moved for different midfield targets.

Tottenham, once strongly linked with Wharton, are closing in on deals for Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali. With rivals looking elsewhere and Wharton tied down under contract, Palace know they hold the cards.

They are in what O’Rourke called the “box seat”. If the market moves away from Wharton and Palace stay firm on their price, the midfielder could simply remain at Selhurst Park.

A deal on a knife-edge

Conflicting signals have emerged around Liverpool’s pursuit. Football Insider reported last week that Liverpool may have cooled on Wharton altogether, a suggestion that jarred with earlier links and the club’s obvious desire to refresh their midfield options.

Yet Gallagher’s latest information points to a club still very much in the game, trying to find a creative solution in a tight market. A swap involving Elliott would reduce the cash outlay, give Palace an attacking talent with Premier League experience, and potentially help Liverpool meet a steep valuation without blowing up their wider recruitment plans.

So the equation is clear. Palace want £70m and a record sale. Liverpool want to strengthen Iraola’s midfield without sacrificing their ability to replace Salah. Elliott is the potential makeweight caught between those ambitions.

If Iraola decides Elliott can be sacrificed and Palace soften their stance on how that swap is structured, this could move fast. If not, Liverpool may have to walk away and watch Wharton remain in south London, at least for another season.

For a club trying to write its next chapter after an era-defining front line, how they handle this chase for Wharton will say plenty about the new Liverpool.