Blackburn Rovers are set to receive a second bid for midfielder Adam Wharton from Crystal Palace, according to Football Insider.
Crystal Palace approached the 19-year-old midfielder two days ago but their offer was rejected outright by Blackburn Rovers. The Championship club felt the initial £18.5 million fee was too low, and also wanted a loan back until the end of the season, something the buying club did not want.
The Selhurst Park outfit are now set to submit a second offer, with talks continuing since the last offer was rejected. The Eagles are keen to bring in the player before the transfer deadline on February 1st.
In regards to the potential fee Blackburn are looking for, it’s believed the club want £25 million to part ways with the academy product. That’s currently a valuation the Premier League side are unwilling to meet, so any potential deal will have to be somewhere in the middle if it is to happen.
Roy Hodgson’s side have been without star midfielder Cheick Doucoure for the majority of the campaign after an Achilles tendon injury, and Wharton is the player they have identified to fill that gap in the middle of the park.
The Riversiders are in a strong position when it comes to negotiations, due to the fact the midfielder signed a new deal at the club just last month, which doesn’t expire until the summer of 2o28.
It’s one of two deals Palace are currently working on, as they also close in on the signing of right-back Daniel Munoz from Genk, which is set to cost them £8.5 million. Their sporting director Dougie Freedman is well respected within the game, and he’s likely to have had a huge hand in the signing of Munoz and the pursuit of Wharton.
Blackburn face Wrexham in the FA Cup on Monday night and they will be hoping to have to have their star man in the squad to face the Red Dragons. Damien Duff is currently the most expensive sale in the club’s history, but if they hold out for £25 million for the 19-year-old that record could soon change hands.
Writer’s View
Palace understand the talent of Wharton and they are right to come to the negotiating table for him again. He has the potential to become one of the best in England, and signing him now could mean a £70million profit in a couple of years considering how the market has worked as of late.
Blackburn are unlikely to get the fee they’re currently asking for, so it will be interesting to see which club flinches first in this deal.
