Real Madrid plot £69m Palace transfer hours after Eberechi Eze's Arsenal agreement

Real Madrid are weighing up a stunning move for Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, according to reports from Spain, just hours after the Eagles agreed to sell Eberechi Eze to Arsenal for £67million.

Palace have been in talks over Eze's exit for a number of weeks after initially holding discussions with Tottenham and agreeing a fee, before Arsenal came in at the last minute to hijack the deal.

Eze did not play in Palace's 1-0 win over Fredrikstad in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday night as he finalises his move to the Emirates to play for his boyhood club.

And as Palace prepare to lose their talisman who guided them to their first ever FA Cup triumph, the club are also bracing for interest from Real Madrid in midfielder Wharton, as reported by Spanish outlet Diario AS.

The report claims Wharton is on Madrid's radar because manager Xabi Alonso lacks a player who can dictate the tempo in the middle of the park and dictate things.

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It says that Madrid have not found a player who can do such a job since the exits of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric - which is high praise indeed for the 21-year-old England international.

Wharton is "very much liked" at the Bernabeu, the report goes on, because he fits the "exact profile" of the midfielder they are looking for, is still at a young age and has "unquestionable talent".

They believe Wharton is a "mastermind" who prefers possession to running and can help Madrid break through stubborn defences in La Liga.

However, Wharton would not come cheap. AS believes Palace would not sell him for any less than £70m, the same price they sold Eze to Arsenal for. And any more sales will only risk further angering manager Oliver Glasner, who hit out at the club's transfer business this summer.

Speaking after their Conference League win he said: "We are very, very late to find replacements. I think we could behaved much better than we did. It’s not the best way to start the season. I think we are below the edge."

Madrid also need to balance the books before making any more major acquisitions. The Spanish giants have spent more than £150m on Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen, Alvaro Carreras and Franco Mastantuono.

Wharton started his career at Blackburn Rovers before joining Palace for a deal worth up to £22m at the beginning of last year. He has played a total of 45 games for Palace and was a pivotal member of the team that beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final this summer.

If he did join Madrid, Wharton would join fellow England internationals Alexander-Arnold and Jude Bellingham at the Bernabeu.

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