Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly entered the race to sign highly-rated Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, with Roberto De Zerbi determined to strengthen his options in the middle of the park.
England international Wharton, who can consider himself unlucky to have missed out on Thomas Tuchel's World Cup squad, has earned a whole host of admirers following a productive two-and-a-half year spell with Palace.
During his time at Selhurst Park, Wharton has, when fit, been a mainstay in the Eagles midfield and played a key role in both their FA Cup success in 2025 and this year's UEFA Conference League triumph.
That has put a number of top Premier League clubs on alert, including Spurs, who look set to be busier than most during the summer transfer window.
Wharton emerging as top midfield talent
There was not much fanfare when Wharton swapped Blackburn Rovers for Palace just five days shy of his 20th birthday in February 2024, but his reputation and value has soared exponentially since then.
The 22-year-old has scored just once in 96 appearances for the Eagles, but his composure and quality in the middle of the park has made him stand out.
Wharton, who has won four England caps and who was part of the Three Lions squad that made it all the way to the final of the European Championship in 2024, enjoyed his best season with Palace in 2025/26, making 53 appearances in a largely injury-free campaign.
Spurs prioritising midfield reinforcements
Spurs head coach De Zerbi is overseeing a substantial overhaul in north London this summer following back-to-back 17th-place finishes in the Premier League.
Defenders Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke have already completed moves to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
De Zerbi has now turned his attention to strengthening his midfield, where Spurs are looking a little light after Yves Bissouma was allowed to leave following the expiration of his contract.
Newcastle United's Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, who impressed despite West Ham United's relegation from the Premier League, are among the names to be linked.
However, with the Magpies unwilling to sell the former and the latter also on the radar of a host of top European clubs, it is Wharton who is seen as their most realistic target.
Competition for Wharton set to heat up
De Zerbi is believed to be a fan of Wharton and will be keen for Spurs to complete a deal, but the north Londoners are not the only Premier League team said to be interested, with Liverpool reportedly having held talks with the midfielder's representatives over recent weeks.
Manchester United are also known to be long-term admirers, while Chelsea, Manchester City and Bayern Munich could also come into the equation, all of which leaves Palace in a strong position to start a bidding war for one of their key assets.
Of course Palace will be keen to keep hold of Wharton, especially having seen other key players such as Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi depart over the last 12 months, and they are under no pressure to sell, with the midfielder being under contract until the summer of 2029.
It is unclear if Wharton is looking to push through a move, but one thing is for sure, if Palace do sell, they will make a considerable profit on the reported £18 million they paid to secure his services just a couple of years ago.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
