Adam Wharton: Highly-rated teenager joins Crystal Palace from Blackburn Rovers in £22m deal - 'A great honour'

Crystal Palace have completed the transfer of highly-rated Blackburn Rovers teenager Adam Wharton in a deal reported to be worth £22 million.

The 19-year-old, who has represented England at U19 and U20 level, joins on a five-and-a-half-year deal for an initial £18m fee, with £4m in add-ons.

It is one of the highest fees paid in a quiet transfer window across Europe.

"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," Wharton said.

"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."

Wharton came through the Rovers' youth academy and has established himself as a key player for the Championship side, being named Blackburn’s young player of the season in 2022-23.

He has stood out in midfield once again this term, making 26 league appearances, with Blackburn boss Jon Dahl Tomasson describing him as operating at a "Champions League level”.

Palace's chairman Steve Parish added: “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.”

Wharton is Palace's second signing of the January transfer window following the arrival of Colombia defender Daniel Munoz from Genk.

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