Blackburn Rovers have rejected a £18.5m bid from Crystal Palace for midfielder Adam Wharton, The Athletic’s David Ornstein has revealed.
Blackburn Rovers academy graduate Wharton has become a vital player at Ewood Park over the last 18 months or so. He broke into the first-team after Jon Dahl Tomasson’s arrival and has seen his stock rise massively since.
The 19-year-old has two goals and three assists in 29 games this season, playing a total of 51 times for his hometown club. Unsurprisingly, the England youth international’s form has drawn plenty of Premier League interest and earlier this week, reporter Alan Nixon said on his Patreon Crystal Palace were preparing a bid.
Now, The Athletic reports that Blackburn Rovers have rejected a significant bid from the Eagles. Palace offered £18.5m for Wharton, only to see their advances knocked back.
The Championship club want a higher fee for their prized asset and would like him to be loaned back for the rest of the season. This, however, does not appeal to Crystal Palace.
Destined for the top?
Wharton has shown in his Blackburn Rovers breakthrough that he has all the makings of a top-level talent. He’s starred in the Championship and has only got stronger under Tomasson, making him a key first-team player as well as an elite prospect for the future.
The feeling is that Wharton’s future is at the top of the game, there’s no doubt about that. However, Blackburn look to be holding firm in their valuation, potentially putting Palace off another move. The desire to bring him back for the rest of the season could make it a tough deal to strike for the Premier League side too.
Blackburn Rovers haven’t had the easiest time with money with owners Venky’s entangled in a row with the Indian government. A big sale would certainly free up money and Wharton is their most valuable asset, but given his importance to the team, they’re understandably keen to retain his services.
