Adam Wharton is one of the most sought-after midfielders in European football this summer.
The Crystal Palace midfielder, valued at around £100million, was notably left out of Thomas Tuchel’s England World Cup squad.
Elliot Anderson, Kobbie Mainoo and Jordan Henderson were preferred instead.
Wharton is expected to attract serious approaches for a move away from Selhurst Park this summer.
But before the transfer window dominates the conversation around him, Wharton has been making his own assessments of the current midfield picture in Europe.
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Speaking on ESPN UK’s TikTok, Wharton was asked to name his top three central midfielders in the world.
His answer: Vitinha, Jude Bellingham and Arsenal’s Declan Rice. Not bad company.
Wharton’s glowing verdict comes after Thomas Tuchel said Rice has the ‘highest football IQ’ of anyone in his England squad, and named the £105million man his vice captain.
Could Arsenal make a move for Adam Wharton this summer?
Despite the mutual admiration, there are no credible links between Adam Wharton and Arsenal at this stage.
Arteta is in the market for a central midfield player, but his primary targets are Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, both of whom are expected to command similarly hefty fees.
When you analyse the key strengths of those two compared to Wharton, the lack of genuine interest from the Gunners starts to make sense, despite the obvious quality of the player.
Wharton is a player who is very vertical in his play, constantly looking to break the lines with forward passing — a quality that Myles Lewis-Skelly has increasingly provided since his integration into the midfield. That box is already being ticked.
What Arteta now wants is more legs and energy in the engine room — players who are relentless in their intensity both on and off the ball, in a similar mould to Rice himself.
Tonali and Fernandes both fit that profile and can play both the #6 and #8 roles. The Italian is one of the most tenacious and technically complete midfielders in the Premier League, while Fernandes has caught the eye at West Ham with his all-round game and box-to-box dynamism.
Wharton is an excellent player. But for what Arsenal need right now, Tonali and Fernandes make more sense.
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