Liverpool eye £78m Adam Wharton as Curtis Jones nears £35m Inter Milan exit

Adam Wharton has been identified as Liverpool’s ideal replacement for Curtis Jones, with Crystal Palace valuing the 22-year-old at £78m amid reported interest from Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Chelsea.

Jones’s future at Anfield remains uncertain after Inter Milan submitted a second bid — worth £30m last month — that still fell short of Liverpool’s £35m asking price. The Serie A club had already seen an earlier offer of £21.7m rejected in June. With Jones entering the final year of his contract, he will be available on a free transfer next summer if no deal is agreed and no extension is signed.

Manager Andoni Iraola publicly backed Jones as recently as July, describing him as a “great player” and expressing a desire to keep the 25-year-old beyond the current season. “It’s very important that he’s Scouse, that he’s from here,” Iraola said. “I also like the personality. From the outside at least he looks like a player with good character and I hope we can keep him, not only for this year but for more time.”

Despite those words, the transfer situation has continued to evolve, and should Jones depart, Liverpool would need to move quickly to address a gap in midfield depth and experience.

Wharton, who came through the academy at Blackburn Rovers before establishing himself as one of the Premier League’s most composed defensive midfielders at Crystal Palace, has drawn widespread admiration for his interception rate and precise short-passing game. At 22, he has already demonstrated his quality both domestically and in European competition.

Palace are determined to retain the England international and have set a firm £78m valuation to deter suitors. That price tag reflects both his current level and his considerable upside — qualities that would align with Liverpool’s broader squad-building philosophy under Iraola, which has also seen the arrivals of Hugo Ekitike and Jeremy Jacquet as part of a youth-oriented rebuild.

Whether Liverpool are willing to meet Palace’s valuation — and whether they can fend off competition from some of Europe’s biggest clubs — remains to be seen as the transfer window approaches its close.