Man Utd sent brutal message over Adam Wharton interest as Crystal Palace chief makes Champions League admission

It has been less than two years since Crystal Palace signed Wharton in a bargain deal worth £22 million ($29m). The midfielder struggled with injuries in his first full season at the club, but he still managed to appear in 27 games across all competitions and played a key role in Palace winning the FA Cup last season by beating Manchester City in the final. They topped it by bagging the Community Shield at the start of the 2025-26 season, as they got the better of reigning English champions Liverpool.

At just 21, Wharton has already established himself as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League and a future star for the England national team. He earned his maiden and only international cap in June last year, as he featured in a pre-Euro friendly match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Wharton's impressive stint at Selhurst Park has already attracted interest from clubs across Europe, including Spanish giants Real Madrid and Premier League's Manchester United. Addressing Wharton's transfer links, Palace co-owner Steve Parish told talkSPORT: "I think Adam at some point will want to play either in the Champions League with us, if we can make that happen, or probably with another club. He's an extraordinary talent. I think right now, and I can't speak for Adam, but I think he's focused on his time at Crystal Palace. He had a broken season last season with the groin issues that he had that a lot of young players get.

"I think this season he's completely focused on putting the games in, getting in the England squad, being a regular for us, and making sure that he can show that Saturday, Sunday, Thursday, Sunday. It's a difficult programme for us right now. I think he's very committed to the club. I don't know where all this stuff comes from."

When asked particularly about United's link, Parish said there was no "real pressure" from Wharton to move to Old Trafford: "If Manchester United want Adam Wharton, that's nothing surprising really about that. The fact of the matter is he's got a long contract to run. There's no pressure on us to do it, and I don't think there's any real pressure from the player either.”

United did spent heavily to strengthen their attack in the last summer transfer window, as they brought in big names like Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. Their midfield, however, still remains an area of concern. The Red Devils see Wharton as a long-term replacement for an ageing Casemiro, while youth product Kobbie Mainoo could exit Old Trafford due to lack of game time under Ruben Amorim. 

United had also pushed to sign Carlos Baleba from Brighton towards the end of the summer transfer window but a move for the Seagulls star failed to come to fruition due to his massive price tag of £115million ($156m). Some reports have suggested that United could make another move for the youngster at the turn of the year.

Wharton failed to make England boss Thomas Tuchel's latest squad for the World Cup qualifiers in October, despite having a bright start to the season with the Eagles. The midfielder later revealed that he got an explanation from the Three Lions boss on his omission, as he said: "He just gave me a message saying I'm playing well, I'm close and I deserve to be there, but he's going to stick with the same team. That's football, I'm not too fussed about that. I can take the time off, go see my grandparents, and it's not the end of the world, as there's another camp next month. I'm just focusing on Crystal Palace and playing well, and hopefully, if I play well, I'll get the call. It's nice to hear, but I think my focus is on Palace and if that goes well, then England is just a bonus."