Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur target seals £22m deadline day transfer to Premier League

Crystal Palace have completed the signing of Adam Wharton from Blackburn Rovers in a transfer worth £22million.

The England under-20s international is understood to have attracted interest from multiple Premier League clubs, including Newcastle United, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur but it is Palace who have won the race.

The South London club agreed a deal on Tuesday before Wharton travelled to capital to undergo his medical and put pen to paper on a five-year contract. It is a club record sale for Blackburn, who host Newcastle in the fifth round of the FA Cup later this month.

Rovers beat Wrexham on Monday to set up a meeting with the Magpies. Speaking after the game, their manager Jon Dahl Tomasson, who played for Newcastle in 1997-98, was questioned about Wharton's future.

"I've always wanted to play in the Premier League and to play for such a big club like Crystal Palace is a great honour," said Wharton.

"The way they've brought players from the Championship and developed them into world-class players in the Premier League is something that stood out to me, and it's a big reason why I wanted to come here."

Palace chairman Steve Parish said: “I’m delighted that Adam, a player whose rapid development we have followed closely, has decided to join us at Crystal Palace.

“Adam’s consistently impressive performances for Blackburn at such a young age have understandably caught the eye of many a club, but we believe Palace to be – as has so often been the case in recent years – the perfect place to harness his undoubted potential, and we look forward to working with him in the years ahead to do so.”

The 19-year-old has shone for Blackburn this season having registered five goal contributions in 26 appearances. Wharton has been with the Lancashire club since the age of six and recently signed a new contract until June 2028.

Wharton, who was named Blackburn’s young player of the season for 2022-23, has made 51 senior outings since making his debut in August 2022.