Manchester United are hoping to sign an English international to partner Kobbie Mainoo in midfield.

The Red Devils have already opened their transfer window. Joshua Zirkzee, who represented the Netherlands at Euro 2024, has signed for Manchester United, despite previously qualifying for the Champions League with Bologna.

There could be bigger names, too. Matthijs De Ligt is rumoured, and another England star may be recruited to partner Kobbie Mainoo in midfield.

According to CaughtOffside, Adam Wharton is on United’s radar despite only joining Crystal Palace in January. Before that, the midfielder was with Blackburn Rovers.

Since graduating from the United academy, Mainoo has been a midfield mainstay, but he has yet to find a regular partner. Casemiro is likely slated to leave the club this summer, while Scott McTominay, Christian Eriksen, and others have played crucial roles alongside the youth in recent years.

However, Wharton could be the solution. A skilled left-footer who can operate box-to-box, the 20-year-old is only slightly older than Mainoo and might compliment his England teammate beautifully as the Red Devils try to lay a solid foundation for the next decade.

While Mainoo became England’s youngest-ever finalist at a major competition yesterday, Wharton was one of only a few stars who did not make it onto the pitch at all. He has only one cap, having made his international debut as a substitute on June 3 in a 3-0 win against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

According to the CaughtOffside article, Wharton may merely be an alternative. Joao Neves is thought to be the top target, but his club, Benfica, would not budge on their demands. The Portuguese schemer has a release clause of approximately €120 million.

Wharton, the Palace star, may be half the price. Though it may appear to be a rash signing based on only a few months of exceptional form, FourFourTwo believes Wharton would be a wonderful partner for Mainoo, and this could be a reasonable choice to sign if Neves cannot be purchased.

The only difficulty is that Wharton has only recently joined at Selhurst Park, and with Michael Olise having already left this summer, the Eagles will be hesitant to do business with another one of their rising stars. Given Palace’s complete control of the situation, this one could be over before it even gets started.

Wharton is worth €30 million, according to Transfermarkt. His contract goes through 2029.