Tottenham ‘need to abandon Wharton pursuit’ as Declan Rice comparison made
Tottenham look set to spend heavily this summer and have made Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton a key target.
Spurs have already signed Mohammed Kudus, and also want to recruit Nottingham Forest captain Morgan Gibbs-White, but the signings may not stop there.
Tottenham are said to be very keen on signing Wharton, who has impressed in 18 months at Crystal Palace, with the England international targeted as a defensive midfielder.
However, despite Thomas Frank’s interest in the player, Spurs may need to find an alternative target given the price tag Palace have now placed on Wharton’s head.
Crystal Palace want Declan Rice-level fee for Wharton
It has now been reported that Palace value Wharton at the same price as Declan Rice before his £100 million move to Arsenal from West Ham two years ago.
Wharton has been outstanding under Oliver Glasner, and certainly has the quality to play for most sides in the Premier League, but has much less experience than Rice did at the time of his move.
| Stat | Wharton | Rice |
| Appearances | 43 | 245 |
| Goals | 0 | 15 |
| Assists | 5 | 13 |
Spurs are clearly keen on Wharton, and it has even been claimed that this price tag may not put them off a move.
With Yves Bissouma likely to leave, a new midfielder will be targeted, but Spurs should perhaps look elsewhere rather than pushing for a huge money move for Wharton.
Wharton injury record a huge concern
Despite his quality, Wharton has spent a significant chunk of the last 18 months injured and managed just 36 Premier League appearances since his move to Palace.
By comparison, Rice had earned his £100m price tag after several years and 245 appearances for West Ham, making him a much safer bet in terms of the risk of the signing.
A huge outlay on Wharton would likely prevent Spurs from signing alternative targets in other positions, and they will be landing a talented, but injury-prone and inexperienced player for a record fee.
Palace’s unwillingness to let Wharton leave for a lower fee would make a deal difficult, and Spurs should simply move on to an alternative target rather than pursuing such a transfer.
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