Report: Chelsea target “loved” by Man United as they prepare to hijack £70m transfer | OneFootball

Manchester United and Chelsea may reportedly be the two main teams to watch in the race for Adam Wharton’s signature.

The Crystal Palace and England midfielder is supposedly “loved” by key figures at Old Trafford as a big move seems inevitable for him sooner or later.

According to TEAMtalk, United would be determined to hijack any Chelsea bid for Wharton, who is “loved” by Ruben Amorim and his staff.

The report goes on to suggest that Wharton’s asking price could be as high as £70m, and that getting him out of Selhurst Park in January won’t be easy.

As I reported for the Daily Briefing here earlier today, my understanding is that Palace will *not* sell Wharton in the middle of the season, though United are on the hunt for a midfielder as there’s a chance Kobbie Mainoo will leave the club.

Adam Wharton in action for Crystal Palace (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Can Man United or Chelsea win the race for Adam Wharton?

It surely won’t be easy getting a deal done for Wharton, with Palace sure to try their best to keep hold of the talented youngster for as long as possible, while other big clubs could also join the race for his signature.

As also reported earlier today, Wharton is wanted by Real Madrid as they eye a number of top midfield players after missing out on Martin Zubimendi.

Still, Chelsea would surely be a tempting project for Wharton, as the Blues’ current owners have put a lot of emphasis on building around talented young players like him.

At the same time, however, CFC already have Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo in midfield, so it remains to be seen if Wharton would get much playing time as a starter.

United could perhaps prove to be the more reliable option for Wharton, as they desperately need a new midfielder and would probably be very happy to be able to build their team around him.