A consequence of Crystal Palace winning the FA Cup was always going to be losing key players. Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi played crucial roles in last season’s incredible season, but have since departed.
Eze joined Arsenal last summer for £67.5m, and Guehi signed for Manchester City in January for £20m. Oliver Glasner was understandably frustrated as his main men headed for the exit.
Jean-Philippe Mateta was close to sealing a January deadline day move to AC Milan until failing a medical. The French striker has returned to Palace with his future uncertain while recovering from a knee injury.
Wharton’s worrying form
The name on every Palace fan’s lips regarding a potential big-money transfer this summer is Adam Wharton. The young English midfielder caught the eye throughout last season and was vital in the Eagles’ FA Cup win and Community Shield triumph.
Wharton has come off the boil this season, failing to replicate the brilliance shown in the 2024-25 campaign. He gave away a penalty in a 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday.
The 22-year-old came into the game off the back of a frustrating night in Bosnia against Zrinjski Mostar midweek. He got caught in possession, and this allowed the Bosnian minnows to break and score an equaliser in a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the two sides’ Europa Conference League play-off.
Football Insider reports that Manchester United and Liverpool are “watching” Wharton, and Real Madrid are also keeping tabs. He has just over three years left on his contract with the South Londoners.
Wharton’s drop in form hasn’t gone unnoticed by the higher-ups at Palace. There are “concerns” over his performances and the possibility of him leaving this summer.
Palace wary of Wharton ‘drop off’
Wharton was the heartbeat of Glasner’s side last season and very rarely put in anything less than a 7/10 performance. This season, he has stuttered, and perhaps speculation over a potential summer move is causing a distraction.
Former Premier League agent, Mick Brown, delved into the situation while speaking to the outlet above:
“I think there are some concerns about Wharton’s performances. It’s not a massive problem, players go through dips in form especially when the team are struggling to get results, but he has really dropped off recently.“
He alluded to Glasner’s recent comments about players wanting moves away:
“Then Glasner comes out with his comments saying some of the players have had their heads turned or are looking at where they might play next season. I think that forces you to look at who hasn’t been playing well that those comments could be about, and I’m afraid Wharton might be one of those.“
United, Liverpool and Madrid could all be battling it out for Wharton this summer. He will likely be on the plane to the World Cup with England where he’ll be eager to impress.
Brown continued:
“We know there’s interest in him and clubs have been looking at him, but he can’t afford to let his performances drop while he’s still a Palace player.“
Wharton has appeared 35 times across competitions this season, registering four assists. He’s been with Palace since early 2024, when he arrived from Blackburn Rovers in a £22m deal.
