It seems like both Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur had always prepared to make statement signings in the summer transfer window.
While both clubs have brought in fresh faces, in Rayan Cherki and Mohammed Kudus in particular, Pep Guardiola and Thomas Frank have made arguably two of the most exciting signings in the Premier League.
Spurs are interested in signing Morgan Gibbs-White as well, who was also targeted by Manchester City.
However, Manchester City opted not to sign Gibbs-White as their plan was not to splash a hefty fee of £70 million on one midfielder and instead, rebuild their side by signing both Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders.
Man City should sign Tottenham target Adam Wharton
While City will not be too concerned if Tottenham landed the Nottingham Forest midfielder, they should try to beat them to Adam Wharton’s signature — who GiveMeSport reported Thomas Frank personally wishes to bring in this summer.
The report claims that Crystal Palace will not make it an easy task for any club to sign the 21-year-old but considering Manchester City have admired Wharton for ages, they should re-ignite their interest in him.
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With Rodri arguably being the best number six in the world and the Englishman being one of the best young midfielders in the Premier League, some might question whether the latter would make the move to the Etihad Stadium.
However, considering Wharton sang Rodri’s praises, he might fancy the opportunity to learn from the Spaniard and potentially play alongside him — being a tremendous passer, excellent at covering ground and similarly adept at controlling the tempo of games.
At the FIFA Club World Cup, it was clear to see that the 28-year-old is yet to fully reach match-sharpness after coming off the back of an ACL injury — as he looked leggy and uncharacteristically sloppy in possession against the likes of Wydad AC and Al Hilal.
While Wharton would be a brilliant understudy to Rodri, he could very well prove to be his successor if the Ballon d’Or winner endures a devastating decline upon returning to Premier League football — or even in the long run for that matter, as the stats suggest.
Manchester City News revealed that Nico Gonzalez could leave the Etihad Stadium and if he does depart this summer, it will be imperative for the Sky Blues to sign a midfielder to replace the 23-year-old.
Considering Mateo Kovacic, Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan are all on the wrong side of 30 and no longer as athletic as they used to be, Wharton, described as “outstanding” by Declan Rice would instantly address the dearth of pace and power in their midfield department.
Crystal Palace’s asking price for Adam Wharton
However, the advantage Tottenham would have in a potential transfer tug-of-war with Manchester City for Wharton is that they could guarantee he becomes a starter for them next season.
With GiveMeSport also claiming Crystal Palace are demanding £80 million for the former Blackburn Rovers midfielder, it would be a surprise if City were willing to pay such a hefty fee for a player who may not start for them currently.