Man City enquire over Adam Wharton as Palace say not for sale
The champions have asked Crystal Palace about the England midfielder, who is on their shortlist, but were told he will not be available to sign during this summer window.
Manchester City have asked Crystal Palace about the availability of Adam Wharton and were told the midfielder is not on the market this summer. David Ornstein says the 22-year-old England international was the subject of an enquiry, a development reported on Thursday.
The approach places Wharton among candidates on City’s recruitment list, but Palace are understood to have no intention of selling before the deadline, according to the same reporting. That stance leaves little room for immediate progress on any move.
An enquiry amounts to initial contact rather than negotiations, and there is no suggestion of a bid or agreement. Palace’s position suggests any pursuit would be difficult unless their view changes.
City are weighing midfield options and Wharton is among those being assessed, the report adds. The level of contact to date indicates interest only, with no indication of talks over fees or personal terms.
For Palace, the message is firm: they plan to keep the player through the current window. Unless that stance softens, City would likely have to consider alternative targets or revisit the situation in a future window.
Being on a recruitment list does not guarantee an escalation, and the enquiry alone does not commit City to follow up. Equally, club positions can shift late in a window, but there is no sign of that here at present.