Adam Wharton's market has cooled sharply after early expectations that he would become one of the summer's headline midfield stories. According to Caught Offside, the Crystal Palace midfielder began the window as one of the division's most coveted young players, yet the landscape has changed as rival clubs reassessed priorities and Palace held firm on price.
There was a point when a genuine scramble looked possible. Tottenham were firmly in the conversation, but after spending £185m on Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali, they have now moved away. That matters, because their exit removes one of the most credible competitors for Wharton.
Liverpool also appear to have backed off. The report states the Merseyside club were prepared to go beyond £70m in mid-June, only for "internal changes in recruitment strategy" to pause the move. With that interest fading, Palace's confidence over keeping the 22-year-old has naturally grown.
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Manchester United's interest has weakened too, with the source explaining they have been put off by the level of fees now attached to this profile of player. Palace are said to want a valuation comparable to Manchester City's £116m deal for Anderson, a number that has clearly had a market-shaping effect.