Manchester United made an approach to sign Adam Wharton in the “final weeks” of the transfer window but were met with a firm rejected by Crystal Palace for the 21-year-old midfielder, according to a report.
No sale this summer
TBR Football reveals the Red Devils, along with Tottenham Hotspur, “asked” about Wharton’s availability but neither the player nor his club were “looking to entertain a move.”
The report also states there were advances made by Chelsea and Real Madrid last month as well.
Wharton’s focus is on “making the England squad for the World Cup” and enjoy a a “strong season” with Palace, as the Eagles are set to compete in Europe for the first time in the club’s 164-year history after winning last season’s FA Cup.
The former Blackburn Rovers star has enjoyed a meteoric rise since arriving at Selhurst Park in January 2024.
He has firmly established himself as one of the Premier League’s best young midfielders under Olive Glasner’s careful tutelage.
With Palace, the Austrian manager employs the same system as Ruben Amorim – a 3-4-2-1 set-up – which Wharton has thrived in the heart of.
It’s clear, therefore, with a gaping hole in the midfield unit at Old Trafford, why United were interested in signing the England international this summer – and why it may prove even more difficult next year as more clubs join the race.
Interest from Europe’s elite
Virtually every top club in England is monitoring Wharton as a target, with United, Chelsea and Spurs joined by Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City in their admiration of the midfield maestro – a profile in short supply in the Premier League.
Real Madrid are also tracking Wharton as an option, with new manager Xabi Alonso believed to see the 21-year-old as a successor to Toni Kroos and Luka Modric in Los Blancos’ midfield, according to a report from Spain.
But TBR Football contend even more of Europe’s elite are in the hunt with Paris-Saint Germain and Bayern Munich also “following” Wharton’s progress.
Speaking to TBR Football, Graeme Bailey reveals, “Wharton is one of those generational players where Europe’s big clubs are in regular contact – they don’t want to miss out.
“Palace are firm in their response, they never entertained the prospect of a departure this summer and they made that known. I am told the player himself and his people are aware of the interest, but there are no signs of him wanting to leave. He is focused on having a full season with Palace and making England’s World Cup squad. That’s it.
“Palace and Wharton know if he continues his progress there will be big moves in the future, but that is for then and not now.”
United look ready to revisit a move for Wharton in the near-future with suggestions a move may come as soon the January transfer window.
But if the midfielder remains available come next summer, there will be a long queue for clubs, both domestically and on the continent, vying for his signature.
Featured image Matt McNulty via Getty Images
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
