Alan Shearer reveals what Blackburn Rovers told him about Adam Wharton's Crystal Palace transfer | OneFootball

Blackburn Rovers believe that Crystal Palace got a cheap deal with the January signing of Adam Wharton.

That's according to Alan Shearer, who has heaped praise on the midfielder for his performance in Palace's 1-0 win at Liverpool on Sunday afternoon.

Wharton on course, came through the youth ranks at Blackburn, and made his senior debut for the club at the start of last season.

He then went on to become a total of 51 first-team appearances in all competitions for the Championship club.

However, he would depart on the final day of this season's January transfer, joining Crystal Palace on a long-term deal.

Since making that move, Wharton has immediately excelled in the Premier League, and it seems there is a belief at Blackburn that they could have made even more from him than they did.

Alan Shearer on Adam Wharton

When Palace completed the signing of Wharton, it was described by Blackburn as a club record fee for the Ewood Park club.

Reports suggested that Palace paid an initial £18million for the 20-year-old, that could rise to £22million with add-ons.

Now however, it seems there is a belief around Ewood Park that they could have got even more for the sale of Wharton, in different circumstances.

After the midfielder's excellent display at Anfield on Sunday, Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer both discussed Wharton on the Rest is Football podcast.

With Lineker waxing lyrical about the midfielder's display, Shearer - who won the Premier League with Blackburn in 1995 - then added:

"When I was at Blackburn, six or seven weeks ago, they told me about the transfer. They said they had to sell him for obvious reasons. They felt as if Palace had got a great deal. They wanted to and needed to get more for him but such was the need to sell.

"They said Palace got him on the cheap. I understand why today. I've been watching him and he's been really impressive.

"Today he was, without doubt, he ran that midfield. When you consider who he was against and the fact it was at Anfield. That's a pretty big thing to say but he was outstanding."

Blackburn closing in on Championship safety

The departure of Wharton has certainly not helped Rovers on the pitch in the second half of this season, as they battle to avoid relegation to the Championship.

However, a 1-0 win over Leeds United at Elland Road on Saturday afternoon has edged them closer to Championship safety.

John Eustace's side currently sit 17th in the table, five points clear of the relegation zone with three games of the season still to be played.

They are next in action on Sunday afternoon when they host relegation rivals Sheffield Wednesday at Ewood Park in front of the Sky Sports cameras. Victory in that game would confirm their second-tier status for next season.

Blackburn may have missed out on bigger Wharton fee

It is hard not to imagine that Rovers would have got an even bigger fee for the sale of Wharton, had circumstances been different.

The club's financial situation has come in for scrutiny recently, due to the court cases that owners Venkys are having to go through in their native India, to put money into the club.

As a result, it always felt as though they would have to sell Wharton, if a big enough offer came.

However, the midfielder had signed a new long-term contract at the club little more than a month before his departure.

So had there now been questions about their financial situation, Blackburn may have been able to wait to sell another time.

At that point, they could have demanded a bigger fee had they not needed to sell, and given Wharton's development may have seen him become even more valuable further down the line.

But with the midfielder already thriving in the top-flight at just 20-years-old, it would be no surprise to see another club pay an even bigger fee for his services at some point in the future.

With that in mind, those of a Blackburn Rovers persuasion will be hoping that there are some rather sizeable and profitable sell-on clauses included in the deal that has taken Wharton to Selhurst Park.