Crystal Palace new signing Adam Wharton makes 'world class' admission after joining Eagles

Wharton completed a move to Selhurst Park from Blackburn on transfer deadline day, putting pen to paper on a five-and-a-half-year deal with the Premier League outfit.

England Under-20 international Wharton leaves Rovers after making 51 appearances for his boyhood club and will hope to follow in the footsteps of Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze in making the jump up from the second tier.

Wharton told Palace TV: “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.

“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.”

Midfielder Wharton is Palace’s second major addition of the winter window after right-back Daniel Munoz joined from Genk earlier this week.

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.”