Tottenham transfer news: Spurs 'join race' alongside Liverpool for Crystal Palace star this summer

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly entered the race for Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton this summer.

The 22-year-old is one of the most highly-rated midfielders in the Premier League ahead of the summer trading point, with 20-time English champions Liverpool known to be admirers of the Eagles star.

Surprisingly to some, Wharton failed to make Thomas Tuchel's final 26-man England squad for the 2026 World Cup across the United States, Canada and Mexico, losing out to Kobbie Mainoo and Jordan Henderson.

The decisions of the German head coach were criticised massively pre-tournament, however, the Three Lions' 4-2 success over Croatia in their opening match of Group L went a long way to silence the naysayers.

England and the Chequered Ones were all square at 2-2 after 45 minutes, before an improved second-half display from Tuchel's side led to victory courtesy of strikes from Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford.

Tottenham join Liverpool in Wharton race

According to TEAMtalk, a new Premier League suitor has entered the race for the in-demand services of Wharton, who was unlucky to miss out on a place at the World Cup in North America this summer.

The report claims that Tottenham Hotspur are targeting potentially three midfield signings ahead of the new season, addressing the shortcomings of a troubled 2025-26 term and the recent departure of Yves Bissouma.

Spurs and head coach Roberto De Zerbi are supposedly huge admirers of Wharton, who Crystal Palace have repeatedly insisted is not for sale as they look to retain their star men following the departure of manager Oliver Glasner.

Liverpool are understood to be ahead of Spurs in the hunt for the midfielder in the sense that they have spoken to the player's camp over a potential switch, however, North London remains a possible destination.

The Lilywhites are also interested in a number of other engine-room options, including West Ham United star Mateus Fernandes and Newcastle United sweetheart Sandro Tonali, who has endured a troubled time in English football.

Wharton loses out to standard-driving elder

On pure ability, Wharton should be in Tuchel's camp for the World Cup this summer, however, the Champions League-winning coach opted for a different metric to measure his backup midfielder options by.

Part of the senior leadership team with the Three Lions, Jordan Henderson is the ultimate driver of standards on the international scene, providing a pathway of conversation between the younger players and the coaching staff.

After a passable campaign at Brentford following his return to the Premier League, the 36-year-old was a popular selection for the World Cup by his peers, as displayed recently by Morgan Rogers and Bellingham during an interview.