After Crystal Palace closed off the prospect of Adam Wharton being sold this summer, two clubs are already planning how they can test the Eagles’ resolve in January.
Indeed, Manchester United and Chelsea are believed to be firm admirers of the young midfielder and could make their move for his signature mid-season.
Adam Wharton: The state of play this summer
Palace, who signed Wharton from Blackburn Rovers in a £22 million deal last year, were unwilling to part ways with him throughout the transfer window amid expectations they’d lose both Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi.
They eventually sanctioned the former’s switch to Arsenal, while the latter had fully agreed a move to Liverpool and even gone as far as undergoing his medical before the transfer collapsed due to Palace being unable to find his replacement.
Seeing Wharton sign for a Premier League rival amongst the chaos would’ve left the Selhurst Park faithful ready to riot.
United view Wharton as a suitable Carlos Baleba alternative
Alas, Wharton’s suitors have been made to wait to materialise their interest.
TeamTalk claims the 21-year-old is now ‘eager’ to embark on a new challenge and considers the likes of Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge as ideal destinations to take the next step in his career.
Never shying away from splashing the cash, Chelsea are said to be preparing a formal bid in the region of £50 million to try and prise the England star from South London
England international Wharton would be vying with Casemiro, Mason Mount, Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo for a starting spot, with the latter being blocked from completing a late loan exit.
I’ve made a point of watching Brighton recently to focus on Baleba. His performances are impressive – he’s the real deal and an excellent target for Man Utd’s midfield.
I haven’t seen much of Wharton, but I’m going to try and do that in the next few matches so I can compare to Baleba.
I think Bruno will move on at the end of this season, and I think that’s about the right time to replace him. Obviously Bruno is a great player but not the best fit for Amorim’s system and not getting any younger. And we always seem to adapt any system or shape to suit Bruno – essentially, we play some version of ‘Brunoball’ in every match. We’re lucky he’s been so good for us over the years, but that won’t last forever – IMHO, the holes are beginning to show just a little.