Henderson 2.0: Liverpool plot move for the "best U21 player in the PL"

It will be interesting to see what Liverpool and Arne Slot decide to do in the January transfer window, and what they decide to leave until the summer window.

The markets that the Reds shop in will also be interesting because they have had struggles with their domestic and international signings from the summer transfer window.

Florian Wirtz has scored one Premier League goal since his £116m move from Bayer Leverkusen, whilst Alexander Isak’s two-goal haul in the top-flight after a £125m transfer from Newcastle United shows that there are no guarantees in football.

Their respective struggles, though, should not deter FSG from pursuing big-money signings from domestic or international markets, as every case should be treated individually.

Liverpool plot summer move for Premier League star

The Reds have not been put off by the lack of output from their big-money signings, because they are already looking at a summer move for a star who could cost a similar amount of money.

According to the Daily Mail, Liverpool are plotting a summer swoop to sign central midfielder Adam Wharton from Premier League rivals Crystal Palace.

In a piece on what the Reds may do in the current window, the report explains that they could wait until the summer to pursue a deal for the England international to bolster their options in the middle of the park.

It was reported ahead of the 2025/26 campaign that the Eagles value Wharton at a fee of up to £100m, and it remains to be seen if their valuation has changed in the subsequent six months that have passed.

Why Liverpool should sign Adam Wharton

The Reds should push to win the race for the central midfielder’s signature in the summer transfer window later this year because he has the potential to be the club’s next Jordan Henderson.

Liverpool signed Henderson from Sunderland as a 20-year-old, for £20m, in 2011 to bolster Kenny Dalglish’s midfield, in what was far from a high-profile addition, as he joined from a midtable side rather than as a star from another huge European or English outfit.

The central midfielder, though, went on to captain the club to a Premier League title and a Champions League trophy during his time at Anfield, making 492 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

Henderson was an ever-reliable deep-lying midfielder who offered consistency, quality, and leadership skills, which is why he had the success and longevity that he had.

Wharton has the potential to offer a similar presence in the middle of the park as a star who loves to pick up the ball and play forward passes to his teammates, whilst also being combative and aggressive out of possession.

As you can see in the chart above, Wharton’s form this season is fairly comparable to Henderson’s last Premier League campaign with Liverpool, as they excel in similar areas.

One thing that really stands out is that they both rank incredibly highly for progressive passes per 90, which speaks to their ability to punch passes into the front players to allow the exciting attackers to get the ball as quickly as possible, and in advanced positions.

Wharton, as shown in the table above, has also been one of the most creative players in any position in the Premier League so far this season, ranking sixth for xA created.

Bruno Fernandes, who is a natural attacking midfielder, is the only central midfielder who ranks above him in that statistic, which speaks to the immense creative quality that the Palace star can provide in the middle of the park.

Wharton was dubbed “the best U21 player in the Prem” back in October by one analyst, and it is hard to argue with that assessment, given that the 21-year-old star is also the youngest player on that list of creative stars.

On top of his creativity, the midfielder also averages 3.0 tackles and interceptions per game in the top-flight this season, per Sofascore, which shows that he can offer quality in and out of possession, as Henderson did.

Such has been the quality of his performances in the Premier League, Everton’s Jack Grealish went out of his way to stae that Wharton was the best player on the pitch in their clash with Palace in October, showing how highly he is rated by his peers.

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Therefore, Wharton could arrive at Anfield in the summer as their next Henderson in the making, as another English midfielder signed from a midtable Premier League club at a young age, with the potential to be an immense deep-lying midfield star for many years to come.