Adam Wharton could have saved his grandparents a lot of worry by signing for Manchester United back in 2024 - but it was Crystal Palace who took the gamble on him instead. Fast forward 18 months and the Eagles can now command a huge fee for the England international thanks to his impressive displays in south London.

Wharton's career has been on a meteoric rise since his days at Ewood Park, where he made 44 appearances and scored four goals from midfield. Last year, it was reported that United scouts were among those keeping tabs on the promising 21-year-old. 

Despite interest from Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, it was Palace who secured the youngster's signature in a deal worth up to £22m. With 36 Premier League appearances already to his name – not to mention victories in the FA Cup and Community Shield – Wharton has been turning heads at both club and international level.

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The talented midfielder was also called up to the England senior team for Euro 2024, just days after making his international debut for the Three Lions in June.

All of that combines to make Wharton an extremely valuable asset for Palace, with some fans rating him as a £100m player. However, it is understood that the Eagles value Wharton a slightly more modest £60m, which still represents a marked uptick on the price the Red Devils could have signed him for in 2024.

A move up north would have also been a preference for his family life, as his dad revealed last year that his grandmothers were "worried sick" about him relocating to south London to play for Palace – although father John insists he hasn't regretted the move since.

The English star is one of two players that Ruben Amorim is pondering over adding to his midfield this summer, with Carlos Baleba being the more likely choice. However, United may have repeated their error with the Brighton ace, as he was up for grabs for a mere £23m back in 2023.

While playing for Lille, the 21-year-old caught the eye of the Old Trafford club, but the Seagulls snapped him up on a five-year contract instead. Now, they value Baleba at over £100m – meaning Amorim's squad would be shelling out £81m more than necessary if they decide to swoop for the Cameroonian.

With Wharton as a possible alternative, supporters might be hoping that this transfer could be slightly less complicated; but that's not the case. The sale of the England midfielder could hinge entirely on Palace's ability to keep hold of other star players in their team, specifically Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze.

Liverpool have shown serious interest in luring Guehi away from the club he leads, tabling an offer potentially worth £35m. While the Eagles have no intention of allowing their star defender to depart, the 25-year-old's deal runs out next summer - and Guehi appears content to run down his existing contract.

Eze is similarly drawing attention this summer, with both north London clubs keen on securing the talented midfielder's services. Arsenal and Tottenham are potentially planning to wait out the England international's £68m release clause, which expires at the end of this week.

Wharton's potential departure may hinge entirely on whether one or both of his teammates seek fresh challenges elsewhere. With Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko all in the building ahead of United's league opener against the Gunners on Sunday, Amorim is eager to kickstart his vision at Old Trafford.

Speaking about his "selection headache" before the Premier League curtain-raiser earlier this week, the manager told MUTV: "That [a selection headache] is a good thing, it is supposed to be like that, not like last season that we have to struggle to put 11 players on the pitch.

"This is the normal thing so I need to think and they [the players] need to fight during the week, so they can change my mind, I have an idea but they will change my mind during the week.

"It is going to be tough because we try to arrange a full week of training, so we will have two really strong sessions with time to work and then we are going to break a little bit and then two days to really think about the strategy for the game and we will be ready."

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