Chances of Crystal Palace signing Blackburn Rovers star emerge | OneFootball

Crystal Palace are currently unable to afford Blackburn Rovers midfielder Adam Wharton, according to The Sun.

The teenager has impressed at Ewood Park in the past year, becoming an important first-teamer and shining against some excellent teams, including Burnley last season.

As he continues to shine, interest will surely grow in the England youth international who looks destined to play at the top level sooner rather than later, having benefitted from Rovers' emphasis on giving young players a chance to thrive.

But he probably would've made a first-team breakthrough regardless, with the player's ability being spoken about even before he made his mark at a senior level for Jon Dahl Tomasson's men.

Although Tomasson's predecessor Tony Mowbray was responsible for the development of quite a few young players in Lancashire, including Tyhrys Dolan, it's Tomasson who has played a big part in Wharton's rise.

The 19-year-old has registered 19 appearances in all competitions already this term, with 17 of those displays coming in the Championship.

He has been one of the first names on the teamsheet when available - and will be hoping to retain his starting place for the foreseeable future in his quest to continue developing as he looks to fulfil his potential.

With Cheikh Doucoure now out injured, Palace are in need of another central midfielder to come in, and Wharton may have been seen as a good option at Selhurst Park.

Unfortunately for them, he is believed to be too expensive for Palace at this stage, which isn't a surprise considering they spent much more than they generated in transfer fees during the summer transfer window.

They didn't manage to generate a single penny from Wilfried Zaha's departure which is a particularly crushing blow - and this may have cost them the opportunity to sign Wharton in the short term.

Instead, they are looking to loan a player from a league rival.

Their exit from the Wharton race could allow Brighton, Everton and Newcastle to swoop for the Englishman, with all three being linked ahead of the January transfer window.

Should Blackburn Rovers be holding out for a high fee for Adam Wharton?

The question that needs to be asked here is 'why not?'.

The midfielder's contract at Ewood Park doesn't expire until the summer of 2027, so Rovers shouldn't be looking to sell him on the cheap.

There have been questions about Venky's financial situation but with the Lancashire side cashing in on Ash Phillips in the summer, that could potentially help Tomasson to keep Wharton.

Not selling Ben Brereton Diaz was probably a poor decision, but if the owners' financial situation isn't too bad, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the teenager remain at Blackburn for the remainder of the season.

He has plenty of potential and will only get better, so selling him during the summer of 2025 seems like the right move if he doesn't put pen to paper on another extension.