Crystal Palace's January Adam Wharton plan revealed amid Liverpool interest

Crystal Palace are planning to reject any offers for Adam Wharton during the January transfer window but do expect to field offers.

That is according to former Man United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that the 21-year-old remains a key player under Oliver Glasner.

Real Madrid have now joined the race for Wharton after sending scouts to track his progress, while Liverpool and Man United have been long-term admirers.

A number of clubs have been weighing up the possibility of a mid-season deal, but the Eagles are planning to stand firm on their stance not to let him go.

This comes after Football Insider revealed on 22 August that Crystal Palace will turn down approaches for Wharton as they have no plans to let him leave the club.

Crystal Palace respond to Liverpool's Adam Wharton interest

Brown first told Football Insider in May that Liverpool and Real Madrid want to sign Wharton, with Barcelona also keeping a close eye on his development.

The former scout, who has a wealth of experience in top-level player recruitment after over a decade at Man United during their most successful period, insisted that the Eagles would only let him leave if an "absolutely ridiculous" offer came in.

"Palace have no plans to let Wharton leave in January," he told Football Insider.

"Unless an absolutely ridiculous offer arrives, which I'd say is unlikely at the moment, he's going to stay as a crucial player for Crystal Palace this season.

"I've heard the likes of Liverpool and Real Madrid mentioned, and they've had scouts keeping tabs on his progress to assess whether he's ready for the step up.

"But whether they're interested or not doesn't matter at the moment, because if Palace won't let him go then he's going to stay there.

"We've seen before how they can stick to their guns with this sort of thing, they're not going to be bullied or pressured into letting him go if they don't want to sell."

Despite suggestions a move could take place in January, Wharton will remain an important player for Palace as they chase further success under Glasner.

Crystal Palace make firm January transfer plan

Wharton is not the only Palace player attracting interest shortly after the summer window closed, with Marc Guehi and Jean-Philippe Mateta gaining attention.

However, Guehi is expected to leave Crystal Palace on a free next summer, while Palace have no intentions of selling Mateta mid-way through the season.

Glasner is determined to keep his best players at Selhurst Park following their FA Cup and Community Shield victories, despite already losing Eberechi Eze.

Football Insider revealed on 18 August that Palace were confident of keeping Wharton and Mateta during the summer, and will remain confident in Janaury.

The Eagles now have their sights set on progressing in the UEFA Conference League, while Glasner has been bullish about their chances in all four competitions.

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