Liverpool's Bold Move for Adam Wharton: Elliott Swap on the Table

Liverpool are weighing up a bold move for Adam Wharton that could see Harvey Elliott head in the opposite direction to Crystal Palace, with the London club demanding a premium fee for their midfield jewel.

Liverpool’s Wharton plan takes shape

Liverpool’s recruitment team have made a new winger their headline priority after Mohamed Salah’s departure, but the midfield rebuild has not been shelved. Far from it. Wharton, long admired at Anfield, remains firmly on their radar.

Journalist Danny Gallagher reports that Liverpool are actively exploring a deal for the England international that would involve Elliott joining Palace as part of a swap. The concept is simple enough: Palace get a ready-made, Premier League-proven attacker; Liverpool land one of the most coveted young midfielders in the country.

The execution is anything but simple.

Gallagher wrote on X at 1:06pm on July 5 that Liverpool are “looking into the logistics” of sending Elliott to Selhurst Park as part of a Wharton agreement, even though new manager Andoni Iraola still wants to assess whether an exit is necessary. The suggestion is clear: if Iraola gives the green light and Palace buy in, this could accelerate quickly.

Elliott’s uncertain Anfield future

Elliott’s situation has drifted into a grey area.

The 23-year-old spent the 2025/26 season on loan at Aston Villa after then-manager Arne Slot decided he did not fit into his plans and sanctioned a temporary move. The loan included an obligatory buy clause, but Elliott did not meet the criteria required to trigger it, sending him back to Liverpool this summer.

Now Iraola has walked into a squad in transition and a decision to make. He has yet to deliver a final verdict on Elliott’s role, yet the prospect of using the winger as a key bargaining chip for Wharton hangs over any evaluation. One strong pre-season could keep Elliott at Anfield. One decisive offer from Palace could end his Liverpool career.

Palace hold the cards – and the price is brutal

Palace, though, are under no pressure to fold.

Reports last week suggested Liverpool might have cooled their interest in Wharton. Journalist Pete O’Rourke noted on July 3 that the trail had “gone quiet” and questioned whether Wharton would even be a top target for Iraola, given the high-energy style the Spaniard implemented at Bournemouth and the wider market for midfielders.

Clubs such as Tottenham have already moved for alternatives, with deals progressing for Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali. That activity leaves Palace in a strong position. Wharton is under contract, other suitors are looking elsewhere, and the Eagles have already endured a series of high-profile exits in recent years.

They are determined not to be picked off cheaply again.

TEAMtalk’s transfer insider Graeme Bailey revealed back on April 17 that Palace want Wharton to become the most expensive sale in their history. Sources indicate they are holding out for £70m for the 22-year-old, eclipsing the £68m Arsenal paid for Eberechi Eze in the summer of 2025. Two million more, and a new benchmark set.

For Liverpool, that is a serious outlay, even with Elliott factored into any package. For Palace, it is the cost of doing business with one of their cornerstone players.

A deal on a knife-edge

So the equation is stark.

Liverpool want a winger but see an opportunity to reshape their midfield at the same time. Palace want a record fee and know they control the asset everyone else is circling. Iraola must decide whether Elliott is part of his new Liverpool, or the key that unlocks Wharton.

If all three parties align, this could become one of the defining transfers of the window. If they don’t, does Wharton stay put and become the next big star to carry Selhurst Park on his shoulders?