Crystal Palace have made their position clear regarding midfield star Adam Wharton amid growing transfer speculation, with internal valuations reportedly placing the young playmaker in the same financial conversation as Declan Rice and his blockbuster £100-million move to Arsenal.
Sources close to the South London club indicate that Palace do not currently intend to sell Wharton and have not placed an official price tag on him. Nevertheless, the hierarchy views the England international as one of the most important long-term assets at Selhurst Park. Any potential negotiations, insiders suggest, would begin only at an elite-level valuation reflecting both his age and rapid rise in the Premier League.
Wharton’s composure in possession, range of passing, and tactical intelligence have quickly transformed him into the heartbeat of Palace’s midfield since his arrival. Club analysts reportedly believe his trajectory mirrors that of Rice during his final seasons at West Ham — a comparison that naturally pushes expectations toward a nine-figure valuation should Europe’s biggest clubs attempt to lure him away.
The Rice benchmark still looms large across the transfer market. His 2023 switch set a modern standard for English defensive midfielders entering their prime, and Palace executives are understood to believe that Wharton’s development curve, combined with his long-term contract security, gives them strong leverage in any future talks.
Interest from elite clubs across England and the continent continues to build. Scouts from sides such as Liverpool F.C., Chelsea F.C., Manchester City F.C., Manchester United F.C., Real Madrid CF, FC Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain F.C. have all been linked with monitoring the 21-year-old’s progress, though no formal bids have materialised.
For now, Palace’s stance remains unchanged: Wharton is not actively for sale, and any club hoping to prise him away would need to submit an extraordinary offer consistent with the modern record-setting fees paid for elite midfielders.
With his reputation growing and international recognition increasing, the coming transfer windows are likely to test Palace’s resolve. Until then, the club appears determined to build around their rising midfield star rather than cash in early — even as the £100m comparisons continue to gather momentum.
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