08 Jun 2026 12:38:31
With Palace now rumoured to want near 100m for Wharton, it's time to ditch that deal. Far better value on the continent.
I personally believe we will move for Alex Scott. Apparently he's stalling on a new deal and we have been scouting him and was going to bid for him whilst he was at Bristol.
Bournemouth want £60m. He's also not at the World Cup, so can link straight up with Iraola and understands his system and tactics.
Continental options include:
Lamine Camara - Monaco
Sangare - RC Lens
Stiller - Stuttgart.
08 Jun 2026 12:57:46
If Wharton is 100mil, then add a bit more and we can get Anderson, who is much better anyway. He can play attacking or defensive midfield. Diomande is already in the bag. Then add an RB, and I think we have enough options in the squad to see us through until the next window.
I expect Gakpo to improve this season, and with him and Rio on the left, I don't see the need to spend there unnecessarily. Maybe seek another CB and a ST, and we're done.
08 Jun 2026 13:03:14
100m? Hard pass. No thanks. He's not the answer to our midfield dilemma anyway.
08 Jun 2026 13:33:57
I think Wharton is the kind of player we need, people saying he doesn't suit Iraola, I'm not sure why folks would think that? Iraola's teams relied a lot on having a playmaker (often a center back, like Huijsen or Senesi) who could pick a pass upfield from deep. We need a player who can get us from our box to their box in the fastest way possible, and Wharton is a passer who makes progressive decisions very quickly, he knows what play to make before he has received the ball, and he has the range of passing to make it. Like I have said before, he replaces Trent's role in the team.
Crystal Palace were one of the fastest and most direct teams in the prem last year (which seems intuitive given they were pretty much a counter-attacking team), and Wharton was central to that directness and speed.
Now it doesn't absolutely have to be Wharton, but he has proven he can do it in the prem. We could either get a center half who can reliably do that, a full back who can invert and do that, or a deep midfielder who can execute, though I can't think of another midfielder who does that capably off the top of my head other than Stiller at Stuttgart.
08 Jun 2026 14:01:31
Whatever you think of him, Patrick (Wharton), surely 100 million £ kills any deal for him considering how much we need to do in the market? Last summer, Wharton was highly rated, but his stock has dropped. How Palace think 100 million £ is fair is mind-boggling. Let's try for Baleba instead, if that's even a thing!
08 Jun 2026 14:15:04
Ultimately, Wharton would be a very deliberate commitment to bring his Trent-like ability to make any pass you could dream of. And, if we want to do it, then we would need to make sure the rb is a physical beast like Kayode and that we have a midfielder like Camara next to him to do some of his running.
Wharton's ability to drop the ball anywhere he wants is a cheat code, and if we want it in the team, we have to build around it.
Otherwise, we should be looking for right backs and centrebacks that can progress the ball instead eg Palestra, Porro, Huijsen, Schlotterbeck.
08 Jun 2026 14:16:15
PB, the whole PL-proven stuff is becoming tired and boring now cos you can be PL-proven while at the same time, being PL-proven at not being the guy we need.
I don't rate Wharton if we are gonna play a mobile midfield with the high octane press. He is not mobile and does not get around the pitch enuff in the system we will be playing, cos Palace don't play that system.
We have never seen him play that role, and he is pretty slow, and when he gets pressed, he coughs up the ball.
And I have not even begun to address the foolishness that is 100m tag that Palace want. They can demand whatever they want, and that's fine but we don't need him nor his type in Doni's system, IMO.
08 Jun 2026 14:39:36
Who's Doni? Just asking.
08 Jun 2026 14:48:32
Her first name is Anne Rome.
Friends with Sarah that Guy reported was leaving.
08 Jun 2026 15:11:26
Cheers, RedQ. Oh, how I miss Sarah. I think we all do, in our different ways. I put to her collection, you know. I hope she goes on to make people as happy as she made me.
08 Jun 2026 15:13:05
Rome, "Doni" as in, Andoni. Try to keep up mate, lol.
08 Jun 2026 15:21:37
It's true that Wharton gets a lot of protection because Palace don't press from the front and he is closer to both the forward and back lines. His lack of mobility is a problem. But our lack of a specialist passer from deeper areas is a very big problem, and was one of the biggest reasons why we couldn't get the ball to players like Wirtz and Ekitike in advanced areas quickly. If we are going to play at the speed that Iraola is famed for, we need players who can reliably play risky forward passes with confidence and accuracy.
FPF, I am thinking the same as you, and the list of players you have provided is pretty much spot on in terms of who might be available to fill the role.
I haven't seen much of Palestra and always thought he was a carry-first kind of full back, but possibly my impressions are wrong. Porro is kind of like a budget rack Trent, and worse defensively, but I guess he could be a decent shout. I'd love to have Schlotterbeck, I think he is athletic and mobile for a big guy who's good in the air, he isn't slow like Van Hecke, and his passing from the center half position is a sight to behold. I suspect we aren't interested in him, though.
08 Jun 2026 15:56:26
Wharton has to come with another 6.
I'd scrap all of them and go for James Garner.
08 Jun 2026 16:14:42
I like Scott. However, I just feel we missed a beat letting Morton leave. He was very good at all his loan spells and has been exceptional for Lyon. Carlsley often rotated him at Scott, and I feel Morton also has a ceiling close to Scott. Further, I think Morton fits in better with our need for a progressive passer from deep.
08 Jun 2026 16:44:01
We need legs, physicality and the ability to move it forwards quickly - Scott can provide that. I understand Jacquet is also good at playing out from the back. Wharton is a very good player, but he is lacking, and is not what our midfield needs in my eyes.
08 Jun 2026 16:58:33
Oli, mate, you do realise that "doni" with the speech marks is exactly the same number of characters as Andoni, yeah? Long way for a shortcut!