Liverpool's Wharton-Elliott Swap Idea for £70m
Liverpool’s rebuild under Andoni Iraola is starting to take shape, and the next move on the board could be a bold one: Adam Wharton in, Harvey Elliott out.
The club’s hierarchy, led by Fenway Sports Group, are scouring the market for a winger to fill the void left by Mohamed Salah, but that is not the only department under review. Midfield remains a live issue, and Wharton’s name has never drifted far from the conversation at Anfield.
Now the interest has sharpened.
Liverpool weigh Wharton move as Elliott emerges as makeweight
Journalist Danny Gallagher reports that Liverpool are actively exploring a deal for the Crystal Palace midfielder and are prepared to send Elliott to Selhurst Park as part of a swap.
Elliott, 23, spent the 2025/26 season on loan at Aston Villa. The spell never triggered the obligatory buy clause, and former Liverpool boss Arne Slot had already made his feelings clear by sanctioning the move in the first place. He did not see Elliott as central to his plans.
Iraola’s view is less certain. The new Liverpool manager wants to take a proper look at the winger before signing off on any exit, but the market rarely waits for anyone.
Gallagher summed up the situation in a post on X at 1:06pm on July 5, explaining that Liverpool are “looking into the logistics” of moving Elliott to Palace as part of a Wharton agreement, and that the situation could accelerate quickly if all parties align.
So the framework is there: Wharton to Anfield, Elliott to Palace. The question is whether Crystal Palace will even open the door.
Palace hold the cards – and the price
Recent noise suggested Liverpool might cool their pursuit. On July 3, Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke indicated that a Wharton move to Merseyside had “gone quiet,” pointing out that Palace are understandably reluctant to lose yet another cornerstone after the departures of Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi in recent seasons.
O’Rourke also cast doubt on whether Wharton is a natural fit for Iraola’s style, referencing the high-energy, aggressive blueprint the Spaniard implemented at Bournemouth. Other clubs have also moved on to different midfield targets: Tottenham, once linked with Wharton, are now pushing through deals for Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali.
All of that leaves Palace in a strong position. Wharton is under contract, alternative suitors are thinning out, and the London club have little incentive to blink first.
Behind the scenes, though, the numbers are clear.
Back on April 17, TEAMtalk’s transfer insider Graeme Bailey revealed that Palace want Wharton to become their record sale. Sources have since underlined the demand: £70m for the 22-year-old England international.
The benchmark is Eberechi Eze. Palace banked £68m from Arsenal for the playmaker in the summer of 2025, and the Eagles now want £2m more for Wharton. It is a statement valuation, and one that underlines how highly they rate a player still at the start of his Premier League journey.
A high-stakes call for Liverpool
For Liverpool, the equation is delicate. They are juggling the search for a Salah successor with the need to refresh a midfield that has already undergone major surgery in recent windows. Wharton, young, English and already capped, ticks every strategic box – but not at any price.
A swap involving Elliott could soften the financial blow and hand Palace a ready-made replacement with Premier League experience and upside. It would also draw a line under Elliott’s uncertain status at Anfield after a loan that never quite turned into a permanent escape route.
Whether Iraola is willing to sacrifice a versatile attacker to land a deep-lying midfielder will define how far Liverpool push this idea. Whether Palace are prepared to cash in on another crown jewel, even at £70m, will define if this saga ever moves beyond the planning stage.
If all sides decide to move, this could be one of the summer’s quickest deals. If not, Wharton may yet walk out at Selhurst Park next season as the player Palace refused to let go.
