Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville rank Kobbie Mainoo, Harvey Elliott and Adam Wharton as Liverpool and Manchester United icons rate best wonder kids
Manchester United legend Gary Neville and Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher have rated Kobbie Mainoo, Harvey Elliott, and Adam Wharton among the Premier League's best wonderkids. This comes after a season where the three young players exceeded expectations for their respective clubs.
Mainoo and Wharton were also part of the England squad that made it to the final of Euro 2024 under Gareth Southgate's management. Harvey Elliott, on the other hand, plays with England's U-21 team, where he scored seven goals and provided six assists in 10 Euro qualification games.
Discussing the trio on Sky Sports (via SPORTbible), Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville ranked Adam Wharton in third place. This comes after the midfielder spent the first half of last season with Blackburn Rovers, where he played 26 league games. In the second half, he joined Crystal Palace, playing 16 games and getting called up to the England squad.
In second place, Carragher and Neville ranked Harvey Elliott, who missed out on the England squad by a small margin. The versatile midfielder has been one of the most exciting players at Liverpool, playing 53 games across competitions last season and making 11 assists.
In first place was Manchester United youngster Kobbie Mainoo, easily the best breakout player at Old Trafford last season. While the Red Devils struggled, finishing in eighth place, Mainoo was a shining light, playing 24 Premier League games and scoring three goals. It was little surprise when he was called up to England's Euro squad.
Manchester United given transfer boost amidst Liverpool's failed offer for Fluminese midfielder
Both Manchester United and Liverpool have exciting young players in their ranks, and it is little surprise that they are intent on finding more across the globe. Both clubs have been linked to a move for Fluminese midfielder Andre, who Liverpool once submitted an offer for.
Last summer, the Reds pushed to sign him, but he ultimately stayed at the club. However, the situation has changed positively, with Fluminese president Mario Bittencourt openly revealing their intent to sell him. The manager said to Flashscore (via Mirror):
"Liverpool's directors contacted me directly, but I told them the player wasn't for sale at that time. We wanted to keep him for the Libertadores because we truly believed we could win it last year."
He further added:
"Last year he said if we didn't want to sell, he'd stay to win the Libertadores. Now I've given my word to help him fulfil his dream of playing in Europe."
This could see Manchester United make a move for him unopposed, with the Merseysiders not currently linked to Andre this summer.