Carrick could give Man Utd huge edge over Liverpool in the race for ‘outstanding’ star

Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton revealed his desire to play in the Champions League amidst interest from Manchester United and Liverpool.

The 21-year-old was one of the best Premier League revelations in the 2023/24 season, when he earned a call-up for England’s Euro 2024 squad. At the time, his international teammate, Declan Rice, hailed him as an ‘outstanding’ player.

Last year, the midfielder helped Palace win the FA Cup at the expense of Man City and the Community Shield against Liverpool.

Although he and the Eagles are enduring a challenging campaign, Wharton remains one of the finest young midfielders in the country, as evidenced by the ever-growing interest in his services.

Next summer, Man Utd will be revamping their midfield. Casemiro has already announced his departure, and Manuel Ugarte could follow him out the door.

The Red Devils have already identified Wharton as one of the main targets alongside Carlos Baleba and Elliot Anderson .

(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

However, it was reported in recent days that Liverpool are now ahead of MUFC in the race for Wharton, who gave the green light to the defending Premier League champions.

Nevertheless, the Manchester Evening News reminded us that the Champions League could well be the determining factor, at least based on the player’s statement from last year.

“Champions League, if you can play in it, you want to,” said the midfielder in his interview with Sky Sports last year.

“I want to play as many games as I can in the Premier League and try reach the highest level possible. There is a World Cup in the summer, and everyone wants to play in it.”

Wharton’s past words arguably carry more weight now than ever, as his two main suitors, Man Utd and Liverpool, are embroiled in a tight battle for one of the Champions League spots.

The Merseyside club started the campaign on a torrid note, and while they seemed to have steadied the ship in recent weeks, they continue to suffer shocking defeats, as was the case last weekend in Bournemouth.

On the contrary, Man Utd appear to be on the rise following the appointment of Michael Carrick as interim head coach.

The 44-year-old is enjoying a surreal start to his managerial tenure, beating the two best teams in the league, Man City and Arsenal, in his first two appearances on the dugout.

If United can maintain this momentum, they appear to be the favourites to cling onto a UCL spot, which would also place them as the favourites to land Wharton, and perhaps other targets, who would be tempted by the prospect of playing at Old Trafford on European nights.