Pierre Sage has made Adam Wharton's situation plain. Crystal Palace want him to stay, Manchester City are among the clubs asking about him, and the new manager says now is not the moment to sell the 22-year-old.
Sage's first Palace message
Speaking at his first press conference since taking charge of Crystal Palace, after succeeding Oliver Glasner in June, Sage said: "I think now is not the moment to do that (sell Wharton). I think he is able to play in another club, in a big club, here or everywhere in Europe. But I think one year with us, with a new dynamic, will be good for him, and we need him. That's why I think he will stay with us."
That is the clearest public line Palace have given on Wharton this summer. Teamtalk reported that City are the latest club linked with him, but Palace have told suitors he is not for sale.
Wharton has also been playing like a player worth protecting. His last 10 match ratings average 7.24, and his best mark in that run was 8.0 in the 2-2 draw with Brentford on 2026-05-17. He has been involved in Palace's last 10 listed matches, which fits the way Sage described him as part of the club's new dynamic.
Why the exit talk will not go away
Wharton has not tried to kill the story himself. Speaking to Football365, he said: "There are always rumours floating about on social media. Is it true? Is it not? You tell me. My friends, my family, my brothers, everyone will message me and be like, 'Is it true this club's interested?'. I'm like, 'Thanks for telling me because I didn't know.' You must be doing something right for those sorts of clubs to be interested or wanting you, but until there's something concrete and direct communication, I wouldn't stress about it."
His camp have been even more open about the longer-term route. James Featherstone said: "We've spoke about shooting for the stars. Let's play for England. How do you get there? Personally I think to play for England you have to play Champions League, and to play Champions League you have to play in one of the top teams in one of the top leagues."
That is why the noise around Wharton keeps returning. Palace may want to keep him now, and Sage has said so publicly, but the midfielder's own ambitions sit in the background of every enquiry.
He already has 96 appearances for Palace, including 70 in the Premier League, and his 2024 move from Blackburn Rovers came for an initial £18 million. City are the club in the picture right now, and Palace's stance before the new season settles is that Wharton stays at Selhurst Park.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 6 outlets. How we work →
