The Crystal Palace move to grab Adam Wharton from Blackburn in January has now been explained, with Dougie Freedman playing a huge role.
Adam Wharton was without a doubt the best signing made in January as he has consistently shown over a pretty long period now for Crystal Palace.
In fact, he’s not just limited to performing for Palace anymore with England also benefitting from his silky dribbling and passing along with excellent defensive work.
It’s a wonder that Palace managed to pick Wharton up when if he was to go today, Europe’s elite would be swarming all over him.
Credit must go to Dougie Freedman who knows the Championship like nobody else, and now Wharton’s agent has explained just how the director of football convinced the midfielder to join.
READ MORE: Who is Dougie Freedman? The Crystal Palace Sporting Director linked with Manchester United switch
How Adam Wharton was convinced by Dougie Freedman
The move to sign Wharton was one which shocked a lot of people, but Freedman knew exactly what he was getting and did whatever was necessary to make the signing of the then 19-year-old.
Speaking to The Guardian, Wharton’s agent, James Featherstone recounted how the deal transpired and praised Freedman for his role in convincing Wharton.
“Dougie in particular was excellent in framing the opportunity,” Featherstone explained.
“To see three players like [Marc] Guéhi, [Michael] Olise and [Eberechi] Eze, who have all played for Championship clubs and are making good progress on their own journeys, was very comforting when he was deciding whether to join them.”
Wharton will have seen the success players from the Championship had upon stepping up to the Premier League with Palace and thought it the perfect place to make his next move.
This could bode well for Palace this summer, with other Championship players being targeted.
Who will be Dougie Freedman’s next Championship signing for Crystal Palace?
Ahead of this summer, once more it seemed that the Eagles were planning on swooping into the Championship to pick up some talent.
Jobe Bellingham was linked recently as a potential priority for Palace, although he might be best served with a year in the Championship to make sure he’s at the required level.
Gabriel Sara is another, coming off a fantastical campaign for Norwich City he is a hot commodity and Palace has been linked with a move more than once.
Jaden Philogene is a third, with the Hull City winger another impressive player who’d be one of the main options to replace Michael Olise in the event of his exit.
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