Crystal Palace’s struggles this season could soon prove costly as Manchester City eyes one Eagles star, but Steve Parish will not want to sell.
Losing a star player from this current 18th-placed Crystal Palace side is daunting and could leave things even worse than they currently are for Oliver Glasner.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 16 |  EvertonEverton | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 15 | -8 | 5 |
| 17 |  IpswichIpswich | 7 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 14 | -8 | 4 |
| 18 |  Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace | 7 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 10 | -5 | 3 |
| 19 |  SouthamptonSouthampton | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 15 | -11 | 1 |
| 20 |  WolvesWolves | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 21 | -12 | 1 |
Key:
Position 1 – 4 : Champions LeaguePosition 5 : UEFA Europa League
Position 18 – 20 : Relegation
Seven games into the league season and the Eagles are winless, making matters worse there are multiple injury woes for Glasner to contend with – including Cheick Doucoure who is out for weeks and Matheus Franca who could be out until 2025.
Dougie Freedman’s transfer business from this summer has so far been underwhelming – with Daichi Kamada a letdown in central midfield.
Amid all this negativity, there are now fears that one-star player might follow Michael Olise’s example and move to one of Europe’s elite – in this case, Manchester City.
Manchester City eyeing 2025 swoop for Adam Wharton
The stature of Adam Wharton has exploded through 2024.
Initially costing Crystal Palace just £20m in a move that raised plenty of eyebrows at the time, Wharton has since gone on to become a senior England international.
He has also ended up with a price tag of £100m – which came after Bayern Munich and Real Madrid showed an interest.
Crystal Palace’s chances of keeping Wharton long-term are being hindered right now, with Manchester City looking for their Rodri replacement after the Spaniard’s ligament injury.
Wharton vs Rodri stats 2024/25
| Stat per 90 | Wharton | Rodri |
| Passes completed | 44 | 77.8 |
| Passing accuracy | 82.39% | 93.44% |
| Tackles made | 2.4 | 2.8 |
| Duels won | 5.2 | 6.9 |
| Clearances | 1.6 | 0 |
| Interceptions | 1.2 | 1.4 |
| Touches | 69.3 | 92.8 |
| Ball recoveries | 7.8 | 9.6 |
GiveMeSport has now reported that this has left City ‘more likely than not’ to reinforce the midfield in January – and that is where Wharton comes into it as seen above he boasts impressive stats which are comparable to Rodri, when taking into account the difference in quality of teams.
Wharton is admired by the decision-makers at City, although the Eagles are not going to be open to selling – with Steve Parish showing how tough a negotiator he can be during the summer talks Marc Guehi talks with Newcastle.
Wharton is expected to cost at least £50m and after a tough start this season the Eagles may struggle to fend off a City approach for the £35,000-a-week talent.
Crystal Palace need Wharton back on top form
City interest in Wharton is expected after his 23/24 campaign, but so far this season he has been far from his best and was singled out for criticism by fans after his display vs Liverpool.
Wharton’s struggles this season came to a head against Liverpool as he was bypassed with ease in midfield like he has often this season.
Crystal Palace have missed Wharton’s progressive passing in midfield as he has been off form – without these passes the Eagles have struggled to create much and have resorted to shooting from range.
Wharton is the key cog in Glasner’s machine and with his struggles the entire system has collapsed.
