CHELSEA are jumping into the race for Blackburn starlet Adam Wharton and will battle Crystal Palace for the midfielder.
Blues’ sporting director Paul Winstanley watched Wharton in action last week after the 19-year-old’s performance against the club in the Carabao Cup earlier this season sparked their interest.
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Winstanley is in the market for even more talent, despite spending heavily on midfielders and Chelsea may be open to a buy and loan back arrangement.
Rovers snubbed an £18.5million offer from Palace this week and want up to £25m, although they could take that in a down payment and extras.
Wharton — who signed a five-year deal at Ewood Park last month — will also want to know his career path, so Chelsea need to be persuasive and any plans to loan him out next season would not appeal.
Palace are unlikely to go higher than their offer of £15m plus £3.5million in add-ons for Wharton and are already making inquiries about alternatives.
They include Birmingham’s Jordan James, 19, who is available at around half the price.
Serie A side Atalanta have been bidding for James but came up short so Palace could swoop in with an acceptable offer for the Welsh teenager.
Birmingham want Palace winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi on loan — and the 21-year-old may yet become part of the deal.
Blues have made contact about the wideman, who needs to leave Eagles for regular game time and could go if they bring in a new player or two.
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Rak-Sakyi is back after two months out with a torn hamstring but unable to get into Roy Hodgson’s squad.
He has been limited to just eight first team appearances this season.
