Andoni Iraola told how much Liverpool would need to pay for ‘outstanding’ star

Andoni Iraola took on quite a hard job when he became Liverpool's manager.

The Spaniard joined the Reds from Bournemouth at the start of the 2026-27 season and, even though most people thought that he'd be upgrading in terms of talent, the Cherries still have an awful lot of quality among their ranks.

However, the fact that Liverpool massively under-performed last term makes his switch a tad easier.

Indeed, things started to look like they were coming together during Friday's 2-0 win against Ipswich but, if Liverpool can't keep their performance levels that high consistently, there's no way that they'll finish the season near the top of the Premier League table as they're expected to do.

So, the players that Iraola brought in during the summer were definitely needed, however, with fans already having half an eye on the January transfer window, it's hardly surprising to see other clubs telling Liverpool how much they'd need to spend to prise their players away from them.

Liverpool have been quoted a £75 million fee for Adam Wharton

One of the main players to have been linked with a Liverpool move this summer is Adam Wharton.

The Englishman has been on the Reds' shortlist for as long as anyone can remember with the number six being the perfect player for them.

However, thanks to Liverpool's hyper-focus on improving their attack and defence, their midfield was forgotten about once again.

So, with this in mind, even though Wharton didn't get his Liverpool move in summer, TEAMtalk have now shared that a January switch could genuinely be on the cards with the online outlet also sharing how much money Crystal Palace would need to part ways with their gem.

"Adam Wharton is still expected to leave Crystal Palace in one of the next two upcoming transfer windows, with sources stating that a move could take place as early as January, and with Liverpool very much on high alert because of the star’s ambitious career-trajectory plan, sources have revealed," they wrote.

"Sources insist he is ambitious and is keen to play in European football on a regular basis, while featuring for a side challenging at the highest level of the English game.

"That combination of personal ambition and growing external interest has left many expecting his departure sooner rather than later.

"Palace will demand a significant fee, likely to be £75 million-plus, which reflects both his age, his importance to the team and the hefty midfielder fees being bandied about this summer.

"For that kind of cash, though, both Liverpool and Newcastle have the resources to meet those demands."

Adam Wharton would be the best defensive midfielder that Liverpool could sign

Everyone knows that Liverpool's number six is now their biggest problem.

Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai have also proven that they can't be partnered together in Iraola's double pivot.

Both of them push forward far too much which has left the Reds vulnerable to counter-attacks more than once.

This clear issue has sparked a bit of outrage among fans as, even before the 2026-27 summer transfer window opened, everyone knew that a defensive midfielder should have been one of the Reds' main priorities.

However, since that clearly didn't end up happening, that priority has now been pushed towards a later date which is why Liverpool's next two transfer windows could be massive for them.

£75 million may seem a tad steep but, with the recent prices of English midfielders, Wharton actually feel like a bit of a steal.

The fact that the Englishman is also homegrown is a massive help to the Reds as, at the moment, they're relying on youngsters to help plug the gaps in their squad when, in reality, they should have at least two top-class players per position.

These are all rumours at the moment but, of all the ones that have recently emerged, a deal for Wharton feels like the most likely to come true.