Manchester City may have won their fourth Premier League title in a row last season, yet Pep Guardiola is constantly seeking to bolster his squad.
While there have been signings as yet, is the Spaniard looking towards the long-term future of his side? As there appears to be interest in a current English sensation…
Man City transfer news
According to Dom Smith, football reporter for the Evening Standard, City have “identified Adam Wharton as a long-term transfer target” following his impressive start to life in the top flight for Crystal Palace.
The promising youngster has capped a stunning six months by securing a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the upcoming European Championships.
Palace only signed him for a fee which could reach £22m during the January transfer window, although there have already been reports that he is now worth closer to £60m, amid interest from the likes of Bayern Munich.
Guardiola has given chances to plenty of youngsters during his reign at City, most notably Phil Foden, but selling Cole Palmer last summer to Chelsea looks like a massive mistake.
Might the Spaniard forget all about Palmer by making Wharton one of his key transfer targets in the future?
Why Man City need to sign Adam Wharton
At the start of January, Wharton was playing for Blackburn Rovers in the Championship, making 29 appearances in all competitions before Palace swooped and brought him to the Premier League during the transfer window.
Between then and the end of the season, he played 16 times in the top flight, registering three assists and impressing almost everyone, notably Southgate.
Despite playing only 16 times, Wharton ranked fifth among his teammates for big chances created (five) in the Premier League, along with ranking fourth for key passes per game (1.3) and third for accurate long balls per game (1.8) as he transitioned from the second tier to the top flight with ease.
Hailed as a “phenom defensive midfielder” by analyst Jon Mackenzie recently, Wharton has everything in his locker to play at the very highest level, and he certainly wouldn’t look out of place in the current City starting XI.
Many felt selling Palmer for around £40m was a good piece of business by Guardiola last summer. Fast-forward 12 months, however, and the Chelsea gem ended the 2023/24 season with 25 goals and 15 assists in all competitions, demonstrating that even the greatest get things wrong once in a while.
Goals
22
Assists
11
Big chances created
17
Shots per game
3.2
Goal conversion rate
20%
Successful dribbles per game
1.5
Key passes per game
2.1
With this freshly on his mind, the former Barcelona manager – who admitted he was desperate to keep Palmer at the club – can perhaps fill the gap in his squad with another dazzling young left-footer in the form of Wharton.
Identifying the Palace gem as a target is a smart move and if he impresses during the Euros and into next season, might the City faithful see the 20-year-old at the Etihad sooner rather than later?
Only time will tell, but the Eagles starlet looks like the real deal, and he could be England’s secret weapon in Germany this summer as Southgate looks to end their near 60-year major trophy drought.
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