Liverpool has reportedly dangled midfielder Harvey Elliott as trade bait in an attempt to prise Adam Wharton away from Crystal Palace. The proposed swap structure could theoretically shave up to £50 million off the total cost for Liverpool, which is notable given that Palace’s asking price for the 22-year-old has ballooned to a staggering £100 million.
Liverpool’s newly appointed head coach Andoni Iraola appears to have other priorities in midfield, and the club’s interest in Wharton has reportedly cooled.
The numbers behind the Wharton saga
Crystal Palace initially entertained discussions around a £70 million valuation for Wharton during earlier rounds of talks. That figure has since climbed to £100 million.
The Elliott-for-Wharton swap concept had a certain logic to it. Elliott, while talented, has struggled to cement a guaranteed starting role at Anfield. Packaging him into a deal would effectively reduce Liverpool’s cash outlay by a significant margin, potentially saving up to £50 million depending on how the respective player valuations shook out.
