Newcastle United in running for midfielder with three England caps but face massive competition from PL rivals
Newcastle United look set to keep their hands firmly in their pockets this month, opting to battle through the second half of the season with the players already at Eddie Howe's disposal.
That's not the best news in the short term, given the team's struggles this season, but it does mean that the club will have more funds available in the summer.
Newcastle signed six new players in the summer just gone, and so far, only one of those can be deemed a success. This year we're hoping that Ross Wilson's arrival will mean there'll be a more focused approach to the window.
Indeed, TEAMtalk are already claiming that Newcastle have made inroads already, having reached out to the representatives of Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton.
Newcastle will fight with the Premier League's big boys to sign Adam Wharton
Newcastle were originally interested in Wharton when he was at Blackburn Rovers, but Crystal Palace were the ones who made the move and have developed him into one of the best holding midfielders in the country, even making his way into Thomas Tuchel's England team racking up three caps already.
Now the Magpies have reportedly begun talks with a view to a summer move for the 21-year-old, but so too have Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool.
Wharton is expected to leave Selhurst Park in the summer, and early signs suggest that a move to Anfield would be his preferred choice, so if Newcastle are serious, they've got some work to do.
Missing out on Adam Wharton in 2024 could cost us £100 million
Like Bournemouth's Alex Scott, Adam Wharton is one of those youngsters Newcastle were linked with before they made their move to the Premier League that we wish we'd been more proactive with. Both took to life in the top flight like a duck to water, and now if we want to make up for our lethargy, it's going to cost us dearly, with Crystal Palace expected to try and push for a £100 million fee for Wharton.
We highly doubt they'll get that much for him, but the fee will certainly be significant, and that again potentially rules Newcastle out of the running, especially if we fail to get back into Europe this season.
At least we're looking in the right places, but this summer we must be more proactive and aggressive in the market. It's time to stop penny pinching. We're getting left behind.
