Formal talks soon: Real Madrid rival Chelsea for potential €100m transfer

Real Madrid are reportedly preparing to open formal talks over a January transfer window move for Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton.

The talented young England international has impressed in the Premier League and it has long looked like he’ll earn himself a move to a bigger club at some point.

Wharton is known to be on Chelsea’s radar as they look for that kind of profile, but now it seems Real Madrid are also stepping up their interest, according to Spanish outlet Fichajes.

Los Blancos were notably in for big names like Rodri over the summer, as the report notes, but missed out at that time, so trying again for someone like Wharton in January could make sense for them.

Fichajes suggest Wharton could cost as much as €100m, but formal talks could take place soon to try to agree a deal for the winter window.

Where next for Adam Wharton?

It will be interesting to see what happens with Wharton as Chelsea also continue to show an interest, with Palace perhaps more likely to favour selling the 22-year-old abroad.

It surely wouldn’t be easy for Wharton to turn down a big name like Real Madrid, who can offer Champions League football and perhaps a more realistic shot at major silverware in the near future.

Still, Wharton might also feel tempted to stay in London and try to become a key part of this Chelsea project, which also has a lot of potential.

Chelsea clearly need a midfielder like that after selling Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City on the final day of the summer transfer window.

This did not allow CFC time to find a replacement, but Wharton looks like he’d perfectly fit the bill for Xabi Alonso’s side.

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