Report: Chelsea recruitment team desperate to beat Man Utd to €100m transfer | OneFootball

Chelsea’s recruitment team are reportedly big admirers of Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton and have been for some time.

According to Simon Phillips, the talented young England international now tops Chelsea’s list of midfield targets for the summer, ahead of other big names like Elliot Anderson and Sandro Tonali.

Wharton has shone at Palace and also looks likely to have a role to play for England at the 2026 World Cup this summer, which could further boost his chances of earning a big move.

Manchester United are also likely to be in contention to sign Wharton, with BBC Sport mentioning him as one of their targets to replace the departing Casemiro in the middle of the park.

Adam Wharton won’t come cheap

Whether Wharton goes to Man Utd or Chelsea, one thing that’s clear is that he surely won’t come cheap, with Fichajes reporting that the 22-year-old is likely to cost as much as €100m (£86m).

That kind of price shouldn’t be too much of an obstacle for clubs like United and Chelsea, but these major deals can be trickier in this era of stricter Financial Fair Play laws.

It could require player sales from both clubs, with Sky Sports already mentioning United’s plans to cash in on around five players in the hope of raising £100m.

Chelsea could also have assets they can bank decent money from, with Enzo Fernandez’s future looking in some doubt ahead of the summer.

Should Adam Wharton choose Chelsea or Man Utd?

Wharton will have an interesting decision to make this summer, with both CFC and MUFC looking like tempting destinations for him.

The former Blackburn Rovers youngster needs to ensure he’s playing regularly and that he’s part of a competitive project, with United perhaps looking the slightly safer bet on both those fronts right now.

Chelsea currently look up against it to qualify for the Champions League, though the Red Devils should be there after a huge improvement in form in the second half of this season.

There’s also a clear role for Wharton at Old Trafford as Casemiro is leaving, whereas he could still face more competition for a place at Chelsea if Fernandez doesn’t end up moving on.