Manchester United remain in the market for a third midfielder despite signing Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans this summer. The Brazilian arrived from Chelsea, while Tielemans was signed from Aston Villa.
Santos has been a revelation in pre-season, while the Belgian also enjoyed a stellar debut off the bench against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) last weekend.
However, with Manuel Ugarte injured and a testing campaign ahead, INEOS remain keen to make further additions to their midfield department. While many of their priority targets have already joined other clubs this summer, Adam Wharton is still at Crystal Palace.
The Englishman is coming off another impressive campaign, during which he registered one goal and seven assists in 53 appearances across all competitions.
Adam Wharton Stats: 2025/26 Season
| Competition | Appearances | Starts | Goals | Assists | Yellow cards | Second yellow cards | Red cards | Minutes played |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 34 | 29 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | - | 2,564' |
| Conference League | 14 | 11 | - | 1 | 3 | - | - | 982' |
| UECL Qualifying | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | 180' |
| Community Shield | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 85' |
| FA Cup | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 90' |
| EFL Cup | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 90' |
| Total 25/26: | 53 | 45 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 1 | - | 3,991' |
Source: Transfermarkt.
A recent report relayed by The Peoples Person states that Chelsea and Real Madrid are ready to pip United to the services of the 22 year old. An update on the saga has now emerged.
Chelsea end Wharton pursuit
According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Chelsea are no longer hot on the heels of Wharton. Speaking to talkSPORT, he said: “Yeah, no real news on Adam Wharton. It’s been surprisingly quiet, in fact.
“There were some early enquiries as Chelsea looked at their midfield market, but they’ve now added Jordan Henderson and they tried for Granit Xhaka. And the feeling is that Chelsea need to focus on outgoings rather than incomings anyway.”
“Of course, we should point out from Palace’s point of view, they’d love to just keep [Wharton] and will hope that it stays quiet between now and the end of the window.”
Manchester City could ruin United’s plans
Jacobs, however, went on to suggest that Manchester City could make a move for the English midfielder later in the summer. He continued: “Manchester City are maybe one club to also keep an eye on because they made an enquiry before the window opened.”
“As it stands, they’re focused on Ayyoub Bouaddi, advanced talks ongoing with Lille and City would like to sign Bouaddi now, even though Lille would prefer a loan back or a pre-agreement and then the player to move in 2027.”
“But it’s not impossible that Manchester City, should Rodri as expected join Barcelona, look for more than one midfielder.”
Jacobs, though, insisted that Palace are yet to receive any offer for Wharton, concluding: “So we might get a twist towards the end of the window with Adam Wharton.”
“But at the moment, I think one of the biggest surprises of this window is that all of the noise and enquiries came before the window opened. And as far as I’m aware, as of today, Palace haven’t had a single bid.”
Final Thoughts
Wharton’s steep price tag makes a move to Old Trafford very unlikely this summer. There is also a belief that the player is similar to Kobbie Mainoo, so United could refrain from making a move if it affects their prodigy’s game time.
The Peoples Person Reliability Assessment
Overall credibility: 8/10
Why?
✅ Reported by a journalist with a strong Manchester United track record.
✅ Adam Wharton interest has previously been covered by TPP.
⚠️ No official confirmation from club.
TPP view
We believe Wharton could be an option for United this summer, given his Premier League credentials. Chelsea’s potential departure from the race would be a good sign, but Manchester City’s interest and Crystal Palace’s exorbitant asking price are likely to scupper a move.
Featured image Alex Livesey via Getty Images
The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
