Crystal Palace have until Thursday night to add to their first-team squad as Steve Parish looks to bolster Roy Hodgson's side before the January transfer window slams shut.
Crystal Palace transfer news
A new right-back appears to be on the cards as Genk defender Daniel Munoz is reportedly on the verge of an £8.5m switch to Selhurst Park this week. The Eagles have also made an enquiry over a possible deal to sign Birmingham central midfielder Jordan James, who is valued at £10m by his current club.
They look set to battle it out with fellow Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers, who have also enquired about the Wales international, whilst Atalanta have already seen an offer of £3m turned down by the Championship outfit this month.
A central midfielder is on the agenda for Palace as they are also reportedly keen to strike an agreement with Blackburn Rovers for young ace Adam Wharton.
Adam Wharton transfer update
According to Football Insider, the Eagles are currently in pole position to secure his services before the transfer window slams shut on Thursday. The report claims that the club have not been put off by their opening offer of £18.5m being turned down by the Championship side earlier this month.
Parish is now plotting a new bid for the England U20 international and is 'very keen' to wrap up a deal before this week's deadline passes, rather than waiting until the end of the season to bring him to London.
Blackburn do not want to lose their star midfielder, though, and are holding out for a fee of £25m, which is £6.5m more than the club's first bid. Tottenham Hotspur, Wolves, and Newcastle United are also said to be keen on the 19-year-old dynamo, and that may be why Parish is eager to do a deal as quickly as possible to avoid losing out to their Premier League rivals.
Palace want Wharton in ahead of the second half of the season due to Cheick Doucoure's Achilles injury that ruled him out of action for around six months in November of 2023.
Tackles per game
1.2
1.6
Interceptions per game
2.3
2.3
Duel success rate
50%
54%
Assists
Three
Three
Key passes per game
1.3
0.8
As you can see in the table above, the Blackburn star's current performances in the Championship are similar to the displays that the Eagles ace produced in the top-flight last term. Like Doucoure, Wharton is a midfielder who can put his foot in to cut out opposition attacks on a regular basis, whilst he also has the quality to make things happen for his teammates in the final third with assists and key passes.
The teenage dynamo, who currently ranks within the top 10% of Championship midfielders for tackles (2.76) per 90 this season, was once hailed as "complete" by talent scout Jacek Kulig and his statistics back that up, as he can produce quality at both ends of the pitch.
Wharton could, therefore, be excellent cover for Doucoure in the short-term if he can make the step up to Premier League football, whilst also being a long-term asset with the potential to grow and develop at the age of just 19.