Crystal Palace Pursue “Champions League-Level” Talent Adam Wharton with £18M Bid Rejected
2 min read
Manager Jon Dahl Tomasson has confirmed that Blackburn Rovers turned down an £18 million offer from Premier League side Crystal Palace for Adam Wharton, indicating the club’s desire for a “Champions League-level” player.
With experience at top European clubs like Newcastle United, Feyenoord, and AC Milan, Tomasson believes Wharton possesses the ball-playing abilities of an elite midfielder. Despite this, Wharton’s next move is likely to be within the middle or lower tiers of the Premier League.
Reports suggest that Crystal Palace, undeterred by the rejection, plan to return with a new offer exceeding £20 million for the highly regarded young midfielder.
“It is my understanding that the club has rejected the offer,” Tomasson tells Lancashire Telegraph. “One day, he will go away. We know that, with his quality. I think it is good that the club have turned the offer down. It needs to be the right market value.”
Even if a fee is agreed upon, Blackburn would prefer to loan Wharton back to Ewood Park until the summer. The club’s stance is strengthened by the departures of other Championship talents for fees surpassing £18 million, such as Alex Scott, Joao Pedro, Jude Bellingham, Ollie Watkins, and Nathan Tella.
“If I was a Premier League manager, I would buy him immediately as well,” Tomasson adds. “When you talk about the players that have gone away in the market, the number of games, the quality, you know what the club should receive.”
Crystal Palace’s proactive approach in pursuing Wharton during the winter transfer window reflects their eagerness to secure his services. However, Tomasson reminds fans that Wharton is a Blackburn man at heart, urging them to appreciate his contributions while acknowledging that player departures are a natural part of football.
In addition to their pursuit of Wharton, Crystal Palace is also considering strikers Armando Broja from Chelsea and Vangelis Pavlidis from AZ Alkmaar. Reports suggest they are eyeing right-back Daniel Munoz, currently embroiled in a dispute at KRC Genk, while a January move for Krasnodar’s Jhon Cordoba has been ruled out by the player’s agent.
