Crystal Palace are planning to offer Adam Wharton improved terms and a potential release clause as Liverpool and Real Madrid continue to show interest in the midfielder.
Chelsea and Manchester City have also tracked the 21-year-old, while Tottenham made an approach for him at the end of last season.
Real Madrid have watched him regularly for the past year while Bayern Munich scouts have also made enquiries about Wharton, who cost Palace a bargain £18million from Blackburn Rovers in 2024 and is now valued in the £75m bracket.
England boss Thomas Tuchel omitted Wharton from his latest squad, but assured the midfielder he is not far off selection.
Wharton was again outstanding for Palace on Sunday, when Everton ended the Eagles’ 19-game unbeaten run.
Jack Grealish, who scored a 93rd-minute winner for Everton, hailed Wharton as ‘the best player on the pitch’.
Wharton remains happy at Palace, but he will have two years left on his contract at the end of the season and talks over a new deal are expected.
Palace previously put a release clause in Eberechi Eze’s contract and will discuss doing similar in this instance.
Palace’s new sporting director Matt Hobbs is under pressure to maintain a competitive squad to match the ambitions of head coach Oliver Glasner, whose contract expires at the end of the season.
The delay in Eze’s summer transfer to Arsenal plus the saga surrounding Marc Guehi’s proposed move to Liverpool had a knock-on effect to their plans, though Glasner felt they should have been better prepared.
FA Cup winners Palace are exploring the addition of 19-year-old midfielder Kees Smit from AZ Alkmaar but Wharton remains pivotal to their plans.
