Crystal Palace are eyeing Cristian Casseres Jr amid Adam Wharton's upcoming update
Crystal Palace are targeting a “good” midfielder, amid a fresh update on Adam Wharton's future at Selhurst Park.
Wharton is fighting to get into the England team that will play in the World Cup
Wharton collected his fourth England cap last week, playing his part in the second half of their 1-1 draw with Uruguay, and the 22-year-old was in fine form, winning four of his five duels and netting three times.
The Palace star will be hoping to force his way into Thomas Tuchel's World Cup squad, but the England boss has plenty of options in the middle of the park, with Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson forming a midfield partnership.
In fact, Tony Cascarino has suggested that the former Blackburn Rovers man is unlikely to feature against Croatia on June 17, saying: “I don't think Adam will play. I don't think he's in the starting line-up. I think he'll do well to get into the squad.
“He did well when he came on the other night, I thought he came on and handled it really well. But I'm not sure how close he is to the full team.”
Although Wharton has yet to emerge as one of Tuchel's most important players, his performances at club level have attracted considerable attention, with Liverpool, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Manchester United in the race for his signature.
Palace are desperate for a “top-flight” midfielder with Wharton's future in doubt
According to a report from Sports Boom, Wharton is set to leave Crystal Palace at the end of the season, which means they will need to bring in a replacement, and look to lure Toulouse star Cristian Casseres Jr.
The Venezuelan is expected to be available for as little as £15m this summer, when he will have just one year left on his contract, with Brighton and Lyon also interested.
Casseres Jr has been identified as a top target for the Eagles, after impressing in Ligue 1 this season, averaging 2.9 shots per 90, more than any Palace player has managed in the Premier League, apart from Daichi Kamada.
|
The main characters of Crystal Palace |
The average is 90 |
|
Daichi Kamada |
3.0 |
|
Tyrick Mitchell |
2.7 |
|
Daniel Munoz |
2.6 |
|
Adam Wharton |
2.5 |
|
Evans Guessand |
2.4 |
|
Justin Devenny |
2.4 |
The Venezuelan has 46 games and has scored an accurate 41.6 out of 90 in Ligue 1, while Wharton averages 34.1 in the Premier League, with 6.9 recoveries out of 90 being the highest of any Toulouse player.
Of course, Crystal Palace will be hoping to keep hold of Wharton, and they remain in a strong negotiating position, with the Englishman under contract until 2029, but Casseres Jr, who has been hailed as “fantastic” by journalist Luis Omar Torrealba, could be an exciting addition.
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