Adam Wharton will have the summer off. The 22-year-old was omitted from England’s 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup with Thomas Tuchel favouring Jordan Henderson, Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson and Kobbie Mainoo who will make up the central midfield unit for the Three Lions in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Anyone who watched Wharton’s Man of the Match performance in Crystal Palace’s victory over Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League final surely questioned the wisdom of Tuchel’s decision. The 22-year-old was the driving force behind the Eagles as they enjoyed the greatest night in their history.
Against Rayo, Wharton punched passes into Palace’s forwards over and over again from his position in the centre of the pitch. He was the one dictating the play for the Premier League outfit and drew acclaim from all quarters. It was the sort of performance England might need from one of its midfielders at the World Cup this summer.
“That is just part of football,” said Wharton when asked about his disappointment at missing out on England’s World Cup squad. “It was never guaranteed that I was going to go, and I knew that. When (Tuchel) called me, he just told me I was not in the squad. He said it was close. But, like I said, that is football. I am not going to sit here and cry about it.”
Wharton’s future at club level is the subject of much speculation at the moment. The Crystal Palace midfielder has been linked with Liverpool and Manchester United with both teams expected to enter the transfer market for a new central operator in the summer window. Wharton would fit the bill in a lot of ways.
United certainly needs a midfielder in the mould of the Conference League winner. Ederson is reportedly close to joining the Old Trafford club from Atalanta with the Brazilian expected to fill the void left by the departing Casemiro. Wharton, however, would give Michael Carrick’s team something different.
Wharton is exceptional in possession and would be a very useful supply line into the likes of Matheus Cunha, Bruno Fernandes, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko. The 22-year-old is the sort of ball-player Manchester United has lacked since Carrick was on the pitch rather than in the dugout.
This summer will be quieter for Wharton than he might have hoped for. Tuchel could come to regret not selecting the midfielder to his England squad for the World Cup. In terms of his club future, though, there is a lot to be decided. His performance in the Conference League final might have created a bidding war.