Chelsea tipped to sign £60m star ahead of Man Utd and Liverpool | Football

Carlton Cole says he ‘wouldn’t be surprised’ if Chelsea beat Manchester United and Liverpool to a stunning transfer deal for Adam Wharton.

England midfielder Wharton is being tracked by some of the biggest clubs in the world following his impressive rise at Crystal Palace.

Signed from Blackburn Rovers in January 2024 for £22m, Wharton has quickly established himself as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.

The 21-year-old helped Palace win the FA Cup last season and the Community Shield before this campaign got underway.

Wharton’s form contributed to Palace’s club-record 19-game unbeaten run which finally came to an end before the international break.

It was reported over the weekend that Manchester United were keen to bring Wharton to Old Trafford to solve their midfield issues and were confident of striking a deal worth around £60m.

Ruben Amorim is said to be a ‘big fan’ of Wharton, who made his England debut last year and was part of Gareth Southgate’s squad for Euro 2024.

Ex-Premier League striker Cole insists Wharton could soon be on the move but has tipped one of his former clubs Chelsea to secure his signature.

Chelsea have been one of the most active clubs in the world in the transfer market in recent years and spent another £300m on new signings last summer.

Cole has been impressed by Chelsea’s midfield, which helped Enzo Maresca’s side secure Champions League qualification last season before winning the Club World Cup, but says the addition of Wharton would be ‘tasty’.

‘They’re going for everyone, Chelsea, aren’t they? All the top young players,’ Cole told Boyle Sports.

‘Moises Caicedo is a top player, but adding Adam Wharton alongside Enzo Fernandez would create a formidable midfield. That’s a tasty combination, with those three in midfield and everything around it. That’s proper.

‘It would be a very, very hard defence to get by. Going forward, they’ve got the lot.

‘They probably need an extra pair of legs in there to bolster the midfield, especially with the Champions League and so many domestic games coming up.

‘They might come up a little bit short if the boys aren’t fit to play, which burns out another part of your team.

‘They could support that with a top-quality player from the English squad. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if Wharton went to Chelsea, and they’d look at that as an asset.’

Crystal Palace owner Steve Parish addressed the speculation surrounding Wharton earlier this week.

‘I think Adam at some point will want to play either in the Champions League with us, if we can make that happen, or probably with another club,’ he told talkSPORT.

‘He’s an extraordinary talent. I think right now, and I can’t speak for Adam, but I think he’s focused on his time at Crystal Palace.

‘He had a broken season last season with the groin issues that he had that a lot of young players get.

‘I think this season he’s completely focused on putting the games in, getting in the England squad, being a regular for us, and making sure that he can show that Saturday, Sunday, Thursday, Sunday. It’s a difficult programme for us right now.

‘I think he’s very committed to the club. I don’t know where all this stuff comes from.’

Asked about Manchester United’s reported interest in the Eagles star, Parish added: ‘If United want Adam Wharton, that’s nothing surprising really about that.

‘The fact of the matter is he’s got a long contract to run. There’s no pressure on us to do it, and I don’t think there’s any real pressure from the player either.’

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