Adam Wharton joins Crystal Palace from Championship side Blackburn for deal potentially worth £22m; 19-year-old midfielder signs five-and-a-half-year contract at Selhurst Park and will wear No 20 shirt
Friday 2 February 2024 14:04, UK
Adam Wharton has joined Crystal Palace from Blackburn in a deal that could be worth up to £22m.
Wharton underwent a medical in London on Wednesday and has penned a deal at Selhurst Park running until June 2029. He will wear No 20 at Selhurst Park.
Negotiations progressed at the turn of the week with a deal agreed between the two clubs on Tuesday.
Sky Sports News reported last week that Blackburn had rejected an £18m offer from Palace for the midfielder.
Palace announced the signing of right-back Daniel Munoz earlier this week.
"I've always wanted to play in the Premier League and to play for such a big club like Crystal Palace is a great honour," said Wharton.
"The way they've brought players from the Championship and developed them into world-class players in the Premier League is something that stood out to me, and it's a big reason why I wanted to come here."
Palace chairman Steve Parish said: "I'm delighted that Adam, a player whose rapid development we have followed closely, has decided to join us at Crystal Palace.
"Adam's consistently impressive performances for Blackburn at such a young age have understandably caught the eye of many a club, but we believe Palace to be - as has so often been the case in recent years - the perfect place to harness his undoubted potential, and we look forward to working with him in the years ahead to do so."
Former Millwall boss Gary Rowett told Sky Sports:
"He's a very good player. I managed against him a couple of times last season, and he's so comfortable in possession of the ball. There are many different sides to his game.
"He's added goals and an ability to affect games in the final third. He's a player who will take the ball anywhere, is involved in the build-up and has plenty of potential.
"The only thing I'm slightly surprised about is that if you look at most players who leave the Championship for the Premier League, you're talking about a fee of around £10m to £15. So to get £18m-plus is a very good deal for Blackburn as well.
"It's a huge step up so I think it's one for the future and not straight away for Palace. There's a greater intensity, physicality and speed to how you're closed down.
"Technically, I feel he can handle the step up."
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