Adam Wharton looks set to be one of the most in-demand midfielders in Europe during the summer transfer window… if clubs have any sense. The England international has quickly developed into a key player for Crystal Palace after his move from Blackburn Rovers, and he’s already attracting the interest of a host of clubs, and it’s no surprise.
Wharton is a rare profile of an English footballer. A technically gifted, hard-working, tough-tackling pivot, who plays the game at a high tempo, picking the ball up from defence before distributing. Although pretty on the ball, Wharton is also comfortable out of possession and is strong in a tackle to win the ball
back for his sides.
Wharton’s most impressive trait is how regularly he looks to play progressively. The Palace midfielder often attempts line-breaking passes, looking to get the ball into the two number 10s in Oliver Glasner’s system. Palace set up in a way that allows their 10s, usually Eberechi Eze and Ismaila Sarr, to find space in between the lines, and having a player like Wharton is imperative to getting them involved in the game.
Wharton’s ability to find space, scan, and receive the ball on the half turn benefits Palace hugely, allowing them to break the press of the opposition with ease. You’ll regularly see Wharton playing either one or two touches, preventing the opposition from getting back into shape. This is why, although he plays plenty of line-breaking, progressive passes, a large percentage of his passes are short, sideways passes, bouncing the ball off team-mates in a simple ‘pass and move’ manner.
As mentioned, Wharton will escape his markers and find space where he can receive the ball without any pressure, allowing him to turn and play progressively – once again, playing one or two touches. In the image above, his movement allows Palace to bypass the press of three players, before Wharton finds Sarr, who will then have a chance to run with the ball in the final third.
The way Wharton plays does seem incredibly simple, but he’s still a rare profile of an English footballer. Although his actions are fairly simple, often in terms of pass and move, he regularly executes it perfectly, and the speed of his actions is what sets him apart. You’ll often see technical, deep-lying midfielders, particularly those not playing at the highest level, preferring to dictate the tempo of the game at a slow pace. Receive the ball, turn, travel slowly and pick out the perfect pass. The reason Palace can escape the press of the opposition is due to Wharton’s ability to scan, receive, turn, and offload, all in the space of a second.
Wharton’s game intelligence and maturity, two traits that often go overlooked in players, are incredible for his age. Knowing when to pass, when to shoot, when to turn, it all comes pretty naturally to him. Against Aston Villa in the FA Cup semi-final, the build-up to Palace’s penalty was a prime example.
The ball rolled to Wharton around 25 yards out. Kids around the world have dreamed of these moments. The ball falling perfectly to your stronger foot, a nice pace, space to shoot. Instead, Wharton threaded an inch-perfect through ball, finding the feet of Eze who instantly won a penalty. The chances of Wharton rifling a first-time shot into the top corner were minimal, but he increased Palace’s chances of scoring by picking out a player in a better position, no matter how tempting the strike was. The terms ‘know your strengths’ and ‘know your audience’ come to mind.
Football fans, especially in the world of social media, are obsessed with finding a new club for in-form players. A spell of good games means a young player from a mid-table club should instantly be joining a Champions League-level side. Sometimes, players are fine where they are. Unfortunately for Palace fans, I don’t think this is the case with Wharton, especially with his profile so suited to the modern era.
99% of successful clubs these days are possession-heavy sides. They like to build from the back, no matter whether they face a high-pressing side or not, and they value possession over the majority of metrics. Any team looking for a midfielder in the coming years is likely to have Wharton high on their list, if not top. A prime example is Manchester United.
Of course, United aren’t currently considered a top side when you look at the league table, but they still have the ability to attract players, and they are crying out for a player of Wharton’s profile. Ruben Amorim’s side have struggled immensely with their build-up play, insisting on playing out from the back no matter the personnel in midfield. The likes of Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte struggled receiving the ball with their back to goal, and they don’t have the mobility to turn quickly and smoothly, just like Wharton does.
His profile is perfectly suited to the modern era, but he hasn’t sacrificed the dirty work that is often required, especially in a side like Crystal Palace, who aren’t always going to dominate possession. That being said, it’s an area of his game which does need improvement. If he moves to a side like, for example, Manchester City, his weaknesses aren’t going to be exposed as much, but to become a more complete and refined midfielder, he does have to improve in duels.
The English midfielder doesn’t engage in a lot of duels or tackles, and when he does, he loses them more than he should. Wharton has a slight, lanky frame, and it’s part of the reason why he’s so nimble and is able to evade pressure so easily. Wharton will have to find the balance of potentially bulking up and becoming stronger while not losing his agility.
This is a player who is easy to forget is only 21 years of age. Wharton is far from reaching his prime, and he has plenty of time to fine-tune any weaknesses. Not only can I see Wharton playing at a Champions League club in the near future, but he also has the ability to be one of the first names on Thomas Tuchel’s team sheet.
