Manchester United urged to make their move for Adam Wharton
Manchester United managed to get the better of Chelsea at the weekend. It would only be a sense of ease in the pressure that was mounting over Ruben Amorim. But despite the three points, there are still massive cracks in the midfield, and that was quite visible at Old Trafford on Saturday.
The Manchester Reds don’t have someone who can control the game. someone who has the capacity to dictate the tempo of sequences quite similar to what Michael Carrick once did.
And that is where links to Adam Wharton come into the picture…
Rio asks United to sign Wharton
Despite his budding age, Adam Wharton has already emerged as one of the most promising deep-lying playmakers in the English top tier. And if we go back and look at his numbers from the 2024/25 season whilst playing for Crystal Palace, it tells a story and more. You suddenly see that he is someone who is quite comfortable when on the ball and fearless when facing against elite opposition.
| Stat | Numbers from 2024/25 season from SofaScore |
|---|---|
| Games | 27 |
| Minutes | 1,706 |
| Assists | 2 |
| Yellow cards | 3 |
| Ball recoveries (per 90) | 6.22 |
| Successful Take-On % | 71.4% |
| Pass accuracy | 75.4% |
| Key passes (per 90) | 1.98 |
And if we look closely at the numbers above, you see someone who is not afraid to take risks in possession. But also someone who brings a sense of defensive solidity. Now Wharton may not yet be the finished product that United wants, but given his huge potential, it would be an interesting choice.
The 21-year-old gives you that willingness to progress play from the middle of the park. And then he has a presence to try and get the better of opponents’ attacking sequences. This makes him exactly the kind of midfielder that is needed at M16.
And former skipper Rio Ferdinand has already insisted that Wharton is “the nearest to a Michael Carrick type” midfielder that the Premier League heavyweights can get. He went on to speak highly of the calmness that the 21-year-old can display while speaking about how he handles the pressure in the game. Rio was also speaking highly of his ability to slow the game down.
The icon within the lanes of M16 went on to speak about how Wharton has thrived in games against Liverpool and Manchester City. And this is the kind of composure that United don’t have in their roster.
Speaking on Rio Reacts, he said:
“He’s the nearest to a Michael Carrick type, who’s a controller, who can play, and who plays forward from that deeper line position at times. He can be an eight if you need him to be and can run on at times if need be, but he’s more of a conductor and can control things.
“I watched him in a couple of games last season against big teams like Man City and Liverpool, and he looks unfazed. He looks ready for a big occasion.
“He enjoys pressure, can play under pressure, and the game kind of slows down when the ball is around him. I love him. I think he’s a fantastic footballer.”
WAFU
For United, the big challenge will be to beat out the competition for his signatures. The likes of Liverpool and Tottenham have been among the tip of the iceberg of the clubs interested in signing him. But everything does point towards the fact that he may be the next big reinforcement in Amorim’s project at M16.
Do you think United can sign Wharton in 2026? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.