10 hours ago
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Liverpool has been advised to abandon its pursuit of Adam Wharton and concentrate on strengthening its backline instead.
The Reds have been linked with the Crystal Palace and England star following a faltering start to the season. Arne Slot's players have suffered three consecutive defeats across all competitions, resulting in them surrendering their position at the top of the Premier League table to Arsenal.
Despite a summer transfer window that saw Liverpool spend around $600 million, the Reds continue to be associated with another big-money move for Wharton. The midfielder has regularly impressed at Selhurst Park following his £18 million ($23.9 million) switch from Blackburn.
He is anticipated to command a significantly higher fee, potentially approaching £60 million ($79.6 million), but former Liverpool player Danny Murphy reckons there are more urgent priorities at Anfield.
"Well, I like him [Wharton]. I think he's a lovely footballer," Murphy told The Metro.
"The game comes easy to him. And I understand why lots of people would be interested in him.
"I think at the moment, Liverpool are quite well covered. (Alexis) Mac Allister is a playmaker, (Ryan) Gravenberch can do it, Curtis Jones is in there, and he's not starting everything, (Dominik) Szobozslai can play in there. (Wataru) Endo's on the bench; he's a more tenacious, gritty, holding midfielder.
"I would think the priority for Liverpool is at center-back. That's obviously the one area people are concerned about. Don't get me wrong, I don't think there's a Liverpool fan around who would be upset if Wharton joined us.
"But I'm not sure that at the moment, that's the priority for Liverpool."
Liverpool, of course, was previously linked with a move for Marc Guehi, Wharton's teammate at Palace, late in the summer window. A deal was even hammered out with the Eagles, and Guehi underwent a medical, but the agreement fell through when Palace couldn't find a replacement.
The England defender's contract is set to expire at the end of the season, making him free to engage in discussions with foreign clubs as early as January.
Despite this, Liverpool still managed to bring a new defender, Giovanni Leoni, from Italian side Parma to Anfield.
However, the 18-year-old is expected to sit out most of the season due to a severe knee injury sustained on his debut.
In other news, there are uncertainties surrounding the future of French defender Ibrahima Konate.
With less than a year left on his Liverpool contract, Real Madrid is reportedly interested in acquiring him on a free transfer. The Frenchman's performances have been underwhelming in the early weeks, drawing criticism.
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