Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has advised the club against pursuing a £60 million move for Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton, insisting that the Reds should instead focus on strengthening their defence. Murphy's comments come as Liverpool endure a difficult run, having lost three consecutive matches in all competitions and slipped from the top of the Premier League table.
Speaking to Metro, Murphy acknowledged Wharton's quality but argued that Liverpool are already well-stocked in midfield. "I think at the moment, Liverpool are quite well covered. Mac Allister is a playmaker, Gravenberch can do it, Curtis Jones is in there... Endo’s on the bench," he said. "I would think the priority for Liverpool is at centre back. That’s obviously the one area people are concerned about."
Liverpool were linked with Wharton's Crystal Palace teammate Marc Guehi late in the summer window, and a deal was reportedly agreed before being cancelled when Palace failed to find a replacement. Guehi is now out of contract at the end of the season and can open talks with foreign clubs from January. The Reds did sign 18-year-old defender Giovanni Leoni from Parma, but he is sidelined for most of the season with a serious knee injury sustained on his debut.
Further defensive concerns surround Ibrahima Konate, whose contract has less than a year remaining. Real Madrid are reportedly interested in signing the French centre-back on a free transfer, and his performances have drawn criticism in recent weeks. Murphy believes these issues make centre-back a more pressing need than adding another midfielder to a squad that already includes Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Wataru Endo.
