Tottenham, Liverpool and Man United all in hunt for Blackburn Rovers player | OneFootball

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Despite not being in the Premier League since 2012, Blackburn Rovers have arguably still one of the better academies in the whole of England, and you just have to look at the amount of talent that has graduated through it in recent years.

One of their starlets in the form of Ashley Phillips - a tall centre-back who despite only just turning 18 in June played 14 times for the Lancashire outfit last season, as well as being a regular England youth international - was sold to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer in a bid to raise funds as club owners the Venkys had issues moving money from their native India.

The most prominent youngster right now to come through the youth system and who will be expected to fetch a lot of money is Adam Wharton, who showed flashes of his talent last season and is now a permanent fixture in Jon Dahl Tomasson's starting 11 at Ewood Park.

The 19-year-old only made his professional debut last August, but his development has been rapid, and for the best part of a year now there has been Premier League clubs keeping tabs on the teenager.

There is almost a constant stream of reports linking Wharton with other clubs, and with just over a month to go until the January transfer window opens, speculation is picking up once more.

According to a report from 90min, Tottenham Hotspur have recently joined the race for the left-footed midfielder as they have been closely watching his performances in recent weeks.

Spurs are said to have a decent relationship with Rovers due to the Phillips deal over the summer, so they could hold an advantage in any potential future negotiations.

A plethora of other Premier League clubs have been consistently watching Wharton though, with Liverpool, Newcastle, Man United, Brighton and Everton all name-dropped as sides who are also keen.

Wharton has showed a keen eye for a pass in his first-team performances, but the defensive side of his game has also improved, with his tackles per game in the Championship rising from 1.7 last season to 2.3 as of now in the current season.

What should Blackburn Rovers value Adam Wharton at?

Blackburn were quick to tie down Wharton to a long-term contract in September 2022 once he had a few good performances for the first-team, and his deal does not expire until the summer of 2027.

That means going into January, Wharton will still have three-and-a-half years remaining on his contract and you'd think that Blackburn will be in no rush to sell their prized asset, but money can talk - especially when the current owners have had funding problems recently.

When looking at past teenage midfielder transfers out of the second tier, Jude Bellingham of course went to Borussia Dortmund for £25 million at the age of 17, but Wharton is two years ahead of him in terms of age from when the England superstar departed the Blues.

Anything north of £15 million though, as well as a big sell-on clause, will surely be considered by Blackburn however as they aim to be financially prudent and live within their means.