Everton and Newcastle could reportedly battle it out for the services of Blackburn Rovers midfielder Adam Wharton.
The race to sign Blackburn Rovers midfielder Adam Wharton is heating up this summer. That’s according to The Sun, which says Everton boss Sean Dyche is prioritising Wharton’s signing this summer but face stiff competition from Newcastle United.
Regarded as one of the best young midfielders in the Championship, Wharton enjoyed an impressive breakthrough season at Ewood Park last term, scoring three goals and recording four assists in 28 appearances in all competitions as Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side missed out on the Championship play-off places on goal difference.
He’s a player with very high regard at Ewood Park and is under contract with Rovers until June 2027, but Blackburn also need to comply with financial fair play regulations.
And after losing Ben Brereton Diaz for free to Villarreal, selling the 19-year-old for a decent fee could ensure that manager Jon Dahl Tomasson gets a reasonable transfer kitty to spend this summer in his quest to build a side capable of fighting for automatic promotion places.
Blackburn have slapped £15 million on Wharton’s proverbial head, and that is a hefty amount for a player that doesn’t have too much senior experience under his belt.
Despite that, Wharton certainly has no shortage of suitors, which underlines his quality. He’s wanted by a growing number of Premier League teams, with Newcastle and Everton taking a keen interest in his situation.
Newcastle United, for one, are said to have scouted the player in the past. The Magpies view him as a long-term prospect and would be open to loaning him back to Rovers for the new season.
Sean Dyche’s Everton, on the other hand, see Wharton as a replacement for wantaway star Amadou Onana, who could be sold for a sizeable amount amid interest from West Ham United.
The Toffees are also ready to offer Wharton the opportunity to play in the Premier League straight away at Goodison Park, something that would be an exceptional opportunity for the teenager, so the cash-strapped Toffees could potentially have the edge in this race over other suitors.
As such, Everton have already made a verbal proposal for the midfielder. As per the Sun, they were willing to send striker Ellis Simms to Ewood Park as a makeweight in a player-plus-cash deal for Wharton, but Rovers only want a guaranteed cash deal instead; Simms has since secured a move to Coventry City.
Everton aim to use the £8 million raised from Simms’ sale and some of the fee they’ll get from future Onana sales to fund a deal for Wharton.
Although he would need time to adapt to the top flight, he certainly has the ability to make the step up after he seamlessly slotted into Rovers’ first team last season. That being said, £15 million is a lot of money to spend on a 19-year-old who is still learning his trade as a professional footballer and has very little first-team exposure.
Everton and Newcastle are not the only clubs keeping tabs on Wharton, with other Premier League sides, including Arsenal, Brighton, and Crystal Palace, previously credited with an interest.
