Adam Wharton transfer latest: Chelsea join race, Crystal Palace update and Tottenham stance clarified | OneFootball

With just days remaining of the January transfer window, Blackburn Rovers have a fight on their hands to keep in-demand midfielder Adam Wharton.

The 19-year-old has impressed for Jon Dahl Tomasson's side this season and has attracted interest from Premier League sides this month, despite signing a new five-year deal at Ewood Park in December.

Wharton made his Rovers debut in August 2022 and has gone onto play 51 times for the club, making 29 of those appearances this season, as he has become a mainstay in the club's starting 11.

Starting 22 league games for Blackburn this season, the teenager's performances at Championship level have led to transfer interest from elsewhere this month - let's take a look at the latest Wharton transfer news...

Chelsea join the race for Adam Wharton

Premier League giants Chelsea have joined the race to sign Adam Wharton, according to The Sun.

The club's sporting director, Paul Winstanley, watched Wharton in action last week after being impressed with the youngster's performance in a Carabao Cup tie with the Blues earlier on in the season.

It's reported that the club would be open to signing Wharton on a permanent deal but would potentially send him back on loan to Rovers in a bid to get the deal over the line.

Having signed a new five-year deal at Ewood Park just last month, it would take a sizeable fee for Blackburn to sell the 19-year-old, but Chelsea have shown in recent times that they're not afraid to splash the cash on new signings.

Crystal Palace saw a bid worth a reported £18.5million turned down in recent days, but the club are keen to wrap up a deal as soon as possible, according to Football Insider, amid fears that the deal could be hijacked by Premier League rivals.

Roy Hodgson's side are keen to strike a mid-season deal for the player with the likes of Tottenham, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Wolves all keen on the 19-year-old.

However, there could be a stumbling block with Palace unlikely to sanction a loan-back agreement that Rovers want to complete a deal as the London-based side feel there's an immediate need for Wharton.

Palace want the deal completed this month as they fear other Premier League clubs may move for the midfielder in the summer transfer window.

Tottenham have 'genuine interest' in Wharton

Journalist Dean Jones has told Give Me Sport that Spurs have a "genuine interest" in Wharton and if there was a queue to secure his signature, they'd be at the front of it.

However, he added that Blackburn don't want to lose him this summer, and would instead prefer that any interested party reignites their interest in the summer transfer window.

"At the moment I'm not even convinced that Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg will actually leave and I think the next few days will be very telling as to whether that does happen or not, so there is genuine interest in Wharton," Jones told GMS.

"I'd have said previously that if there was a queue for him, then Tottenham would have been at the front of it [before the Crystal Palace interest].

"Blackburn really don't want to lose him right now and they would much prefer they came back for him in the summer if they're going to do that."

With a number of Premier League clubs interested in the 19-year-old, it appears as if Blackburn will struggle to keep hold of the youngster.

However, with the club having the security of a five-year deal, Rovers will be hopeful that they can keep hold of him until the end of the season instead of losing him this month, especially so late on in the window.