Chelsea suffer huge transfer blow as Ornstein confirms wonderkid move

Cameron Smith

• 30 Jan 2024 13:16 GMT
• 3 min read

Chelsea are set to miss out on key target Adam Wharton after Crystal palace reached an agreement to sign the Blackburn Rovers midfielder.

Wharton, 19 has garnered serious Premier League interest over the past few months after his breakout onto the senior stage in the Championship and Chelsea were interested in signing him after his impressive performance at Stamford Bridge earlier this season.

The young Englishman was one of Blackburn’s standout players during their 2-0 Carabao Cup defeat against Chelsea in November, and the Blues have reportedly been keeping an eye on his form ever since, according to The Sun.

However, it appears as though Crystal Palace have won the race to sign Wharton.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein has reported that Roy Hodgson’s side have agreed a fee of €25.7 million (£22m), including add-ons, although terms have not yet been finalised.

Wharton is reportedly expected to travel to London on Tuesday before completing his medical at Selhurst Park. Palace had seen an initial offer rejected last week, but they have now tabled an acceptable bid following news of Chelsea’s interest.

The 19-year-old is expected to sign a long-term deal in south London and will become their second signing of the January transfer window after the €10m acquisition of Daniel Munoz from Genk.

Chelsea to miss out on Adam Wharton

Chelsea had shown real interest in signing Wharton, but they have now seemingly lost the race to sign him.

The Blues already have a stacked central midfield roster, which has been boosted by the loan returns of Andrey Santos and Cesare Casadei. The former endured a torrid six months at Nottingham Forest before his return to Stamford Bridge, while the latter’s time at Leicester City was mixed.

Wharton will not be joining the pair in west London, however. The England U20 international has made 29 appearances in all competitions for Blackburn so far this season, scoring two goals and providing three assists.