Well – according to Football Insider – the Eagles are now ready to compete against Everton and Tottenham to sign the England U20 international. Wharton is said to be valued in the region of £15m at Ewood Park – although the story states that an offer of £10m could even be accepted. However – with three Premier League sides keen to sign the Blackburn Rovers No.23 – we would expect the final figure to rise to £15m in the event of a bidding war.
Wharton – who the Daily Mail once compared to Jack Wilshere – only signed a new contract with the Championship outfit in December running until June 2028, although Football Insider believe Blackburn Rovers would have to consider bids in the region of £15m.
By the sounds of it, Steve Parish and Dougie Freedman are on the lookout for a new central midfielder this month. In addition to Wharton, Crystal Palace have also been linked with a move for Sunderland No.39 Pierre Ekwah – according to TEAMtalk.
However, any move for a new central midfielder must not come at the expense of David Ozoh. The 18-year-old has been superb in his appearances off the bench this season, notably helping us come from 2-0 down against Manchester City to draw 2-2 with a performance that defied his years.
Of course, a new central midfielder would certainly be useful with Will Hughes struggling and Chris Richards playing out of position, although any signing in that area should not shove Ozoh down the pecking order.
