Man Utd boost as Adam Wharton transfer ‘expectation’ revealed

Robin Bairner

28 Mar 2026 10:59 GMT
4 min read

Adam Wharton, Man Utd, 2025/26 — © IMAGO

Manchester United’s hopes of landing Adam Wharton from Crystal Palace have received a significant shot in the arm after it was revealed that the England midfielder “expects” to be on the move this summer.

Article continues under the video

Wharton has been hailed as one of the leading midfielders in the Premier League since moving to Palace from Blackburn in the winter transfer window of 2024, and while there has been persistent transfer speculation surrounding the 22-year-old since, it now appears that a deal will be set in motion.

Man Utd are well placed to land the Blackburn-born star, but they face competition, with Real Madrid and Liverpool also linked with the player.

Current ETV

Adam Wharton

M (C)

C. Palace

Adam Wharton

M (C)

C. Palace

ETV Range

€58.4M - €71.3M

Wharton expects summer move to Champions League team

Wharton believes the time is right to step up to play for a Champions League club, The Sun reports. It adds that he “expects” a transfer to be completed this summer.

Palace have allowed some of their top players to leave in recent windows, with attackers Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze allowed to depart for Bayern Munich and Arsenal respectively in deals worth €53 million and €70m.

Wharton would ‘likely’ command a similar fee.

This falls exactly into the Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of Wharton, who is worth €64.8m, according to FootballTransfers’ AI-driven algorithm.

Man Utd an excellent choice for Wharton

Man Utd’s need for a central midfielder is clear thanks to the confirmation that Casemiro will leave the club in the summer, and Wharton fits the bill nicely.

The playing style and formation that United employ are a strong fit for Wharton’s style, according to data analytics firm SciSports, which gives the Red Devils a Club Fit score of 74. This is calculated using an algorithm that studies a wide variety of metrics surrounding the team, with the higher the figure the greater the likelihood a transfer will be a hit.

© IMAGO - Adam Wharton, Man Utd Club Fit

There are doubts over whether Wharton would develop to his full potential at Old Trafford, with United scoring just two stars in this regard, but while they only get three in the playing time category, in reality this will be greater as Casemiro will not be a direct rival in that position.

Atletico Madrid is seen as the optimal transfer for Wharton, with a Club Fit of 84, but Diego Simeone’s side have not been mentioned as holding an interest in the England ace.

United, therefore, look well placed to beat Liverpool and Real Madrid to his signature, especially if Champions League football is secured.

The FootballTransfers app

Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.

The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:

•Google Play

•App Store