Adam Wharton
Chelsea have a long-term interest in signing Adam Wharton(Image: Sebastian Frej)
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Former Crystal Palace striker Fraizer Campbell has tipped Chelsea to make a move for Eagles midfielder Adam Wharton in the January transfer window.
The Blues are long-term admirers of the England international, football.london understands, and considered making a move for him over the summer. However, there was an acknowledgement that Palace would not let Wharton leave in the recently-concluded transfer window.
Chelsea tried for other midfielders, notably Lamine Camara, but ended up short in the engine room following Enzo Fernandez's £125million move to Manchester City. The Blues scoured the free agent market for options in the centre of midfield but instead, Xabi Alonso has decided to stick with what he has got in terms of options until January at the very earliest.
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Whether Chelsea act on their long-time fondness of Wharton remains to be seen but there will undoubtedly be rumours regarding the 22-year-old's future in transfer windows to come. Campbell believes his former club could be in trouble in the next window when it comes to keeping hold of Wharton.
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Speaking to BOYLE Sports, Campbell said: "Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton, and Alex Scott were among the young midfielders who were really impressive and tipped for moves to a top-six club.
"So not hearing much noise about Wharton over the summer was very surprising, but someone like Chelsea, having just lost Enzo Fernandez, might be interested in a player like him. It'll be interesting to see what comes up in January or maybe even the summer."
Scott, one of the names mentioned by Campbell, is also a target for Chelsea. The Blues saw a £64m offer knocked back by Bournemouth in July with the Cherries adamant the 23-year-old was not for sale at any price during the summer transfer window.
Chelsea kept pushing for Scott in the latter stages of the transfer window, despite Bournemouth's stubborn stance. However, a move was deemed impossible before the west Londoners moved onto other targets in the final days.
The long game could pay off for Chelsea eventually with Bournemouth proving in the past that they are willing to sell their star players for the right price. The Blues will be keeping a close eye on the England international over the course of the season as they consider their options in the bid to replace Fernandez.