Vanderson, Dimarco (my personal favourite) or Kerkez (younger and offers more longevity), Reijnders, and Wirtz — those would be my picks.
As for Wharton, he’s a natural 6. Even though he can fill in at 8, I don’t like him in that role and wouldn’t play him there. He simply doesn’t have the intensity required for that position, especially in a team like ours. If we hadn’t signed Nico, I could understand the logic behind bringing in Wharton as a second 6, even though I personally do not prefer him. But with Nico and Rodri already covering that role, adding Wharton would be completely unnecessary.
I’d much rather focus on signing another 8 alongside Reijnders. Since we’re already linked with MGW, if we land him for a reasonable fee, he would be my pick for the second 8 instead of Wharton. He’s got the legs, the running power, and the intensity we need.