Chelsea Eye £80m January Move for Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton

Chelsea are reportedly showing serious interest in Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton ahead of the January transfer window, according to Caught Offside.

Midfield Injury Problems

Xabi Alonso is overseeing a rebuild at Stamford Bridge after a dreadful last season, and the Blues have started encouragingly despite some defensive frailties.

Andrey Santos’s departure to Manchester United was followed by Jordan Henderson’s arrival, giving Alonso the Englishman, Moisés Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Dario Essugo and Valentin Barco to choose from.

Availability is the issue, though. Caicedo has been injured in recent weeks, Lavia and Essugo have had fitness problems for months, and Alonso has even used right-backs Malo Gusto and Reece James in central midfield.

Price Tag and Contract

Caught Offside claims Chelsea looked at Wharton, 22, as a replacement for Enzo Fernandez this summer, but he was unavailable, so they did not push.

Wharton could now be available for around £80m in January, with his contract running until 2029. Chelsea are also interested in Alex Scott, but Bournemouth will not sell before next summer and want about £100m.

Rival Suitors for Wharton

Manchester City considered Wharton this summer but rebuilt their midfield with Elliot Anderson, Ayyoub Bouaddi and Fernandez, so a move looks unlikely.

Liverpool admire the former Blackburn Rovers man too but are prioritising Monaco’s Lamine Camara. Chelsea came close to signing the Senegal international on deadline day before Monaco blocked the deal, and their interest has since cooled.

Wharton’s Fit at Chelsea

Wharton is a left-footed, deep-lying playmaker who is equally comfortable box-to-box. He has proven himself in the Premier League in recent years and has the potential to go right to the top.

In our view, £80m is a hefty sum for a player still developing, but Chelsea’s injury-hit midfield needs a technical presence and Wharton offers exactly that. A January move would ease the burden on Alonso’s depleted options and add control.