Carlton Cole says he ‘wouldn’t be surprised’ if Chelsea beat Manchester United and Liverpool to a shocking transfer deal for Adam Wharton.
England midfielder Wharton is being tracked by a number of the biggest clubs on the planet following his impressive rise at Crystal Palace.
Signed from Blackburn Rovers in January 2024 for £22m, Wharton has quickly established himself as among the best midfielders within 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 got here to an end before the international break.
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It was reported over the weekend that Manchester United were keen to bring Wharton to Old Trafford to unravel their midfield issues and were confident of striking a deal value around £60m.
Ruben Amorim is claimed to be a ‘big fan’ of Wharton, who made his England debut last 12 months and was a 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 in every of his former clubs Chelsea to secure his signature.
Chelsea have been one of the crucial energetic clubs on the planet within the transfer market lately and spent one other £300m on latest 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 can be ‘tasty’.
‘They’re going for everybody, Chelsea, aren’t they? All the highest 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 every thing around it. That’s proper.
‘It might be a really, very hard defence to get by. Going forward, they’ve got the lot.
‘They probably need an additional pair of legs in there to bolster the midfield, especially with the Champions League and so many domestic games coming up.
‘They may come up a little bit bit short if the boys aren’t fit to play, which burns out one other a part of your team.
‘They might support that with a top-quality player from the English squad. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if Wharton went to Chelsea, they usually’d have a look at that as an asset.’
Crystal Palace owner Steve Parish addressed the speculation surrounding Wharton earlier this week.
‘I believe Adam sooner or later will wish to play either within the Champions League with us, if we will make that occur, or probably with one other club,’ he told talkSPORT.
‘He’s a unprecedented talent. I believe immediately, and I can’t speak for Adam, but I believe 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 whole lot of young players get.
‘I believe this season he’s completely focused on putting the games in, getting within the England squad, being an everyday for us, and ensuring that he can show that Saturday, Sunday, Thursday, Sunday. It’s a difficult programme for us immediately.
‘I believe he’s very committed to the club. I don’t know where all these things comes from.’
Asked about Manchester United’s reported interest within the Eagles star, Parish added: ‘If United want Adam Wharton, that’s nothing surprising really about that.
‘The very fact of the matter is he’s got an extended 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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