Blackburn Rovers midfielder Adam Wharton is set to have a medical at Crystal Palace, according to a report from Craig Hope in the Daily Mail.
A deal has been agreed between the two clubs, and it will be for a club record £22 million. The Rovers midfielder is now set to travel to London to finalise the deal by completing his medical and signing the contract.
The 19-year-old has been at the club since he was six and recently signed a new four-year deal. Palace had their first bid rejected, but talks continued after that and they have now seen their second offer accepted. The initial bid was said to be in the region of £18.5 million.
Chelsea also had an interest in the teenager according to Alan Nixon, but never made an official approach. The player’s best position is in defensive midfield, which is a position Roy Hodgson’s side have been lacking since the injury to Cheick Doucoure.
Wharton’s £22 million sale will break the previous club record set by Irish winger Damien Duff, who joined Chelsea for a fee of £20.9 million in 2003 according to Transfermarkt.
The England under-20 international made 29 appearances for the Lancashire club this season, scoring twice and contributing three assists. He has made over 51 appearances for the club since making his first-team debut in August 2022.
If the deal is completed, it will be the Eagles’ second signing in recent days after they completed the transfer of right-back Daniel Munoz from K.R.C Genk in Belgium. It is yet another impressive signing coming into the club under the guidance of sporting director Dougie Freedman.
Palace face Sheffield United at Selhurst Park tomorrow night in the Premier League, but it’s unlikely the deal will be completed in time for the youngster to be part of the squad. They currently sit 15th in the league table, five points ahead of Luton Town who have a game in hand.
Writer’s View
Wharton is one of the biggest talents in the country at his age and this is a major signing for Palace going forward. The midfielder is heavily admired by numerous big clubs, but he has made a good decision in choosing to join the London-based side.
The development of the likes of Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise since joining from Championship clubs has been something to admire, and the Blackburn youngster is likely to have had that in his mind when making his decision.
