Crystal Palace have signed highly-touted central midfielder Adam Wharton from Blackburn Rovers.
The Eagles have paid £22 million to secure his services, and he has signed a long-term deal at Selhurst Park.
Palace have already signed Genk full-back Daniel Munoz in January. They have now reinforced their midfield with Wharton, who has been earning rave reviews in the Championship.
The 19-year-old becomes the record sale for Blackburn, beating Damien Duff’s transfer to Chelsea.
Wharton attracted attention with his League Cup showing against Chelsea. His technique and ability to punch passes through the line caught the eye.
He will step into the Palace midfield to replace Cheick Doucoure, who is sidelined with a long-term injury.
The Blackburn-born star has bagged two goals and three assists in 26 appearances for the Championship outfit this season. He tallied two goals and one assist last term.
He will look to up those numbers and become an integral part of Roy Hodgson’s Palace set-up.
“I’ve always wanted to play in the Premier League, and to play for such a big club like Crystal Palace is a great honour,” Wharton told Palace’s official website.
“The way they’ve brought players from the Championship and developed them into world-class players in the Premier League is something that stood out to me, and it’s a big reason why I wanted to come here.”
Chairman Steve Parish added: “I’m delighted that Adam, a player whose rapid development we have followed closely, has decided to join us at Crystal Palace.
“Adam’s consistently impressive performances for Blackburn at such a young age have understandably caught the eye of many a club.
“But we believe Palace to be – as has so often been the case in recent years – the perfect place to harness his undoubted potential, and we look forward to working with him in the years ahead to do so.”
