Chelsea are interested in recruiting the services of Blackburn Rovers midfielder Adam Wharton and their sporting director sporting director Paul Winstanley watched him in action last week, according to the Sun.
The display of the 19-year-old against the Blues in the round of 16 of the Carabao Cup back in November sparked their interest, but they are not the only club keen on signing him.
Crystal Palace are also keen on Wharton but their £18.5 million offer was rejected last term as Blackburn want up to £25m for their academy graduate.
They are open to taking that in a down payment and extras.
Chelsea want to bolster their squad and snapping up a homegrown talent will come in handy.
Despite the plethora of options available to manager Mauricio Pochettino, the Blues are very much open to recruiting more players and may be open to a buy-and-loan-back arrangement for Wharton.
The midfield sensation just extended his deal with the Championship club, putting pen to paper on a five-year deal in December, and luring him away to Stamford Bridge could be tricky for Chelsea.
He has scored two goals and claimed three assists in 26 league games so far this term and is widely regarded as one of the best youngsters and midfielders in the Championship.
A move to Chelsea will most likely be appealing to Wharton, but he needs to be convinced he will get a chance to play regularly and continue his development and progress.
However, the Blues may not be able to guarantee that and could be looking to loan him out, and whether he will be open to such an arrangement remains to be seen.
