‘Template of Jude Bellingham’ – Another EFL to Real Madrid transfer mooted as England international Adam Wharton sees switch from Crystal Palace to Santiago Bernabeu speculated on

Sky Sports pundit David Prutton labelled Wharton's potential EFL to Real Madrid pathway as following the "template of Jude Bellingham", citing how well the Palace man has adapted to the Premier League after being plucked from the Championship in early 2024 with little senior experience. These comments come after news emerged earlier this week that the La Liga champions were plotting a surprise move for the 21-year-old.

A few eyebrows were raised when the Eagles decided to splash £22 million on the inexperienced midfielder last year, but within six months that fee was fully justified with Wharton called up to the England squad after a hugely impressive start to Premier League life. Now, Palace look set to make a huge profit on their highly-rated young talent with a fee of £70m being hinted at in some quarters.

Prutton said: "I still think it was a punt on potential and unknown talent at that level, but my word has he settled into that really well. To be brutally honest, you wouldn't expect to see that trajectory from Blackburn Rovers to Real Madrid in such a short space of time. But the way he moves and gets about the pitch and the understated manner in which he approaches his profession, his ability to handle the pressure - whether it's England squads or Premier League football - means you have a lot of the make-up that would help him to perform at a top club... There's the template of Jude Bellingham who managed to bounce up into the first-team and then move abroad and seal a huge move to Real Madrid."

Wharton recently returned from hernia surgery, and probably would have attracted more attention in January had he been fully fit. Manchester City reportedly decided not to chase him at that point, but as well as Los Blancos' interest, Liverpool and Manchester United are both said to be keen on signing the 21-year-old. With Palace currently firmly anchored in mid-table, they may struggle to keep hold of their star man for too much longer.