Chelsea are keen on signing Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton this summer, according to CaughtOffside.
Wharton first came to the limelight while on the books of Championship side Blackburn Rovers, where he came through the ranks.
He featured 51 times for the Riversiders, where his performances caught the eye before Palace won the race to sign him in January 2024.
Interestingly, his second debut for the club was against Chelsea, and despite the Eagles losing 3-0, he put in an assured performance and was one of Roy Hodgson’s best players.
He has established himself as one of the Premier League’s best midfielders over the last two seasons while also playing a key role in Palace’s surge under former boss Oliver Glasner.
The 22-year-old started the FA Cup, Community Shield, and, most notably, the Conference League finals, proving his ability to perform on the big stage as the Eagles clinched all three trophies.
As such, Wharton has been a key target for some of the biggest Premier League clubs, with CaughtOffside reporting that Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Manchester United have previously shown interest, though their interest has since cooled.
However, it appears Chelsea are showing the strongest interest, as the report adds that the London giants are ‘engaged’ in talks with the 22-year-old’s camp over his potential transfer to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea keen on Wharton
CaughtOffside clarifies that Tottenham dropped their interest after investing £185m to bolster their midfield, while internal changes at Liverpool led to a change of plans despite their initial desire to offer over £70m.
However, despite Chelsea’s interest, a deal won’t be easy due to Palace’s valuation, with the report adding that the South London club are expected to demand a fee in tandem with the £116m Manchester City paid Nottingham Forest to sign Elliot Anderson.
At the beginning of the summer transfer window, defence appeared to be the most critical part of Chelsea’s squad in need of reinforcement.
At the time of writing, midfield has now emerged as an equally vital area to reinforce this summer, as their options are being thinned.
Andres Santos has completed a move to Manchester United, while Enzo Fernandez’s future remains uncertain despite Xabi Alonso revealing in his press conference that he would love to work with him.
Should the Argentine depart, Wharton would be a good addition, as he offers exceptional passing, defensive reliability, and, most importantly, consistent availability amid incessant injuries to Romeo Lavia.
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