David Ornstein of The Athletic reported on Thursday morning that Blackburn had turned down Crystal Palace’s initial offer to sign Wharton.
Since making his first-team debut at the beginning of the previous campaign, the 19-year-old has developed into a vital member of the Ewood Park team.
The Championship club is believed to have rejected the Eagles’ offer of £18.5 million for the recruitment of the teenage player.
It appears that Rovers are seeking a greater price for the midfield player, which would not sit well with Palace. They also want to re-sign him on loan for the balance of the season.
There is a counterargument, though, that the Premier League could be able to avoid the problem of a loan return because of other players who are now under contract at Selhurst Park.
Blackburn has historically had a strong interest in Crystal Palace players.
If Palace signed Wharton, they might not be willing to loan him back to Blackburn, but they might be willing to send other players to Ewood Park on a temporary basis.
Malcom Ebiowei and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, two current Crystal Palace wingers, have been connected to Rovers in recent times.
Therefore, Palace might be able to get around the problem of loaning Wharton back by giving Blackburn one of these players instead, as they should still be desirable targets for the Lancashire team.
Blackburn’s Director of Football Gregg Broughton disclosed at the close of the summer transfer window that the team had failed to sign one of two wingers by the deadline, with Rak-Sakyi being the presumed target.
Since the club hasn’t added a winger since then, they might be eager to look again at that position in the remaining days of January. This is especially true given that they might not want to rush Ryan Hedges, one of their existing alternatives in that position, back from a lengthy injury layoff.
As for Ebiowei, who has yet to make a senior game for Roy Hodgson’s team this season, it was claimed earlier this month that Palace is willing to loan the 20-year-old out in January due to interest from Football League teams.
Therefore, a deal like this would give him the chance to gain additional gaming experience, which should help him progress.
Rak-Sakyi, on the other hand, is just about to make his comeback after missing several months due to injury. To improve his match fitness and sharpness, he might gain from a loan move that sees him play frequently once more.
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