Chelsea have recently stumbled across a bargaining chip which could prove key in the race to sign Adam Wharton from Crystal Palace.
Adam Wharton of Crystal Palace during the pre-season friendly match between Fulham and Crystal Palace at Motspur Park on August 7, 2026 in London, England
Adam Wharton has been linked with a move away from Crystal Palace(Image: Photo by Sebastian Frej/Getty Images)
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Chelsea have the perfect welcoming gift for Adam Wharton. The Crystal Palace star has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge for a while now as Xabi Alonso looks to bolster his options in the middle of the park, but any deal could hinge on whether Enzo Fernandez leaves.
football.london understands that the Blues are long admirers of Wharton, whose contract at Selhurst Park expires in June 2029. It's said that any potential deal for the England international could cost in the region of £100m.
As it stands, it remains unclear whether the Blues will submit a bid for Wharton, or even if he becomes available to sign so late into the transfer window, but Alonso can offer something not many other managers can. The Englishman's current shirt number, the 20, has recently become vacant at Chelsea.
Ahead of the opening weekend of the new Premier League season, Joao Pedro relinquished the jersey, taking the number nine from Liam Delap. The 23-year-old striker, whom the Blues only signed from Ipswich Town for £30m last summer, took the number 12, conveniently leaving the number 20 vacant.
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If Chelsea needed a bargaining chip in negotiations to sign Wharton, they could offer him his current shirt number, which few other clubs can do. The Englishman has donned the jersey since joining Crystal Palace from Blackburn Rovers for an initial fee of £18m in February 2024.
Wharton has made the shirt number his own, helping the Eagles win the FA Cup, Conference League, and Community Shield. The 20 jersey at Chelsea has been a good omen in recent years.
Pedro and Cole Palmer have each enjoyed their best seasons with the Blues in the shirt, which now needs a new owner. Earlier this summer, Andy Townsend claimed Wharton could become the new Michael Carrick under Alonso.
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"I could see a Moises Caicedo and Adam Wharton axis as the future of Chelsea," the former Chelsea midfielder told OLBG. "If that's the way that Xabi Alonso wants to do it, whether it's a 4-2-3-1 or 3-4-3, then I could absolutely see that working.
"I think Adam Wharton is a very classy player. He reminds me of Michael Carrick, the way Carrick used to play at Manchester United; he always looked like he had a bit of time on the ball.
"He wasn't the quickest, and you think people would be able to get him and close him down, but that rarely happened. I think Adam Wharton is similar. Whenever I watch him play, he always seemingly has his next pass ready.
Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton
Chelsea hold a long-term interest in Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton(Image: Maja Hitij)
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"As soon as the ball comes to him, he knows what he's doing," added Townsend. "Palace have just enjoyed some success, and on the back of that, it would make perfect sense for him to move.
"I think his left foot alongside Caicedo could absolutely work at a place like Chelsea. He is a talented player. In this era of players who are physical specimens, it's nice to see someone who can do a bit of that but also has an elegance about his game.
"Adam Wharton has that. As I said, I think the nearest comparison I could make would be to someone like Michael Carrick. He plays in a very similar way. I think he’d suit Chelsea."