Exclusive: Fabrizio Romano on how Crystal Palace did well to beat other clubs to smart transfer

Transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano has provided some insight into how Crystal Palace did well to beat other clubs to the signing of talented young midfielder Adam Wharton back in January.

The 20-year-old has proven a superb addition to the Palace squad since he joined from Blackburn Rovers in the middle of the season, and it seems other teams were also alert to his potential.

However, speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for his latest Daily Briefing column, Romano explained that Palace are very happy with their deal for Wharton, who caught the eye in the Championship and who is now also showing how good he can be at Premier League level as well.

So how did Palace snap up this top talent ahead of other clubs? It seems Romano feels they really showed they trusted him, and it’s clear that he’s now benefiting from being given a key role at his new club, which surely wouldn’t have been the case if he’d joined a side higher up the table.

Wharton transfer to Crystal Palace explained by Fabrizio Romano

“Adam Wharton – Crystal Palace did a great job with this January signing. A lot of other clubs were monitoring Adam Wharton, but no one was as concrete as Palace – they really trusted him since day one of the January window,” Romano said.

He added: “They believe he’s special, really special player, and it’s easy to see why after his strong start to life in the Premier League.”

Palace have also done really well under new manager Oliver Glasner, whose arrival at Selhurst Park will surely have really helped Wharton settle in and achieve his full potential.

If the England Under-21 international carries on performing like this, he’ll surely be on the radar of bigger clubs before too long, while he has arguably also surely earned a place in the England squad for Euro 2024.