Adam Wharton, Chelsea
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Chelsea reportedly failed with a late approach to sign Blackburn Rovers youngster Tom Atcheson before the end of the summer transfer window, amid significant competition from multiple Premier League clubs.
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The 19-year-old defender has been selected in the starting XI in four of Blackburn’s six fixtures across all competitions so far this season and he has been one of the main beneficiaries from the summer appointment of Toby Mowbray.
Atcheson, who has two senior caps for Northern Ireland, has now played 22 first-team games for Blackburn and he is being monitored by a host of Premier League clubs as a result of his form for the Championship side.
TEAMtalk report Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle United and Sunderland all made approaches to sign him before Transfer Deadline Day on 1 September, while Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are also keeping close tabs on his development.
In addition, Chelsea reportedly attempted to finalise a deal during the final few days of the summer window, but they were told that Blackburn had no interest in selling the Northern Ireland international, who signed a contract extension at the club in May.
It’s understood that Chelsea, along with a host of other English top flight clubs, will continue to track Atcheson’s progress this season, with Xabi Alonso’s side potentially set to rekindle talks over a deal in 2027.
Chelsea eye Adam Wharton transfer revenge
Chelsea were interested in signing Adam Wharton before his move to Crystal Palace, having been impressed by his form at Blackburn, but they missed out on a deal and the club want to rectify this failure by finalising a deal for Atcheson amid his eye-catching ascent to stardom at Ewood Park.
The centre-back is regarded as one of the most promising prospects in the EFL and it’s understood that BlueCo are keen to bring him to Stamford Bridge in 2027 after missing out on his signature this summer.
Atcheson, a product of Blackburn’s academy, has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €1 million, but it’s highly likely that a far higher fee would be required to lure him away from Ewood Park next year, with Palace forced to pay over €20m to sign Wharton back in 2024.
Andoni Iraola, LiverpoolNews