- Real Madrid lead chase for Wharton
- Five European giants circle for his signature
- Palace braced for £100m midfield raid
According to The Daily Mail, Real Madrid have zeroed in on Wharton as the perfect long-term architect for their midfield. He is viewed as a cerebral and composed operator whose passing precision could carry the club’s engine room into a new era, following the departures of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
New boss Xabi Alonso, himself a midfield maestro in his playing days, has told Real chiefs he wants a technically gifted ball-player to orchestrate matches from deep. Wharton, with his composure and tactical intelligence, is ticking all the right boxes.
Real are not alone in the chase. Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Tottenham have all stepped up their monitoring of the Palace prodigy, while scouts have been a regular fixture at Selhurst Park this year. Tottenham even tested the waters before the FA Cup final in May with an enquiry, only to find Palace standing firm.
Palace know exactly what they have: a homegrown jewel with the potential to dominate midfields for the next decade. Their message to any potential suitors is blunt: pay £100 million ($136m) or look elsewhere. Real Madrid are known for their Galacticos ideology, and with Wharton’s profile rising with each game, it remains to be seen if the Bernabeu hierarchy is convinced to stump out such a massive fee for a 21-year-old.
Madrid already boast of having two Englishmen, Jude Bellingham and Trent Alexander-Arnold, in their squad. For Wharton, the chance to line up alongside fellow England internationals in one of football’s most iconic stadiums could be irresistible. However, losing him would be a brutal blow for Palace, who see him as their heartbeat at the centre of the park for years to come.
