Crystal Palace hoping to close deal to sign bigger talent than Wharton for £17m

Crystal Palace fans will be expecting their beloved team to reach the Conference League final now, after smashing Shakhtar Donetsk 3-1 away from home in the first of two semi-final legs on Thursday night.

Oliver Glasner will be hoping his team can put in an equally lively performance later today, just a matter of days on from their big win in Poland, when travelling to AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League.

Sitting in 13th position currently in the Premier League standings, this position on the final day would be a drab ending for Glasner in the Eagles’ hot seat, with the Austrian previously hoisting the FA Cup aloft in South London.

Hopefully, next season, a higher finish will be in their reach, with summer talk of a new manager coming in to replace the FA Cup winner, also being met with some tentative transfer discussions at Selhurst Park.

Palace want to push through deal for £17m star

It has been rumoured that Andoni Iraola is near the top of Steve Parish’s wishlist as Palace chairman, as he goes about replacing Glasner.

Alongside this talk, though, SportsBoom have also revealed that the Eagles – alongside fellow Premier League outfit Everton – are monitoring breakout Watford sensation Netsory Irankunda, ahead of a possible summer switch.

The report states that both the South London club and the Toffees require more direct, fast-paced wingers when the transfer window reopens, which is where the Australian attacker comes into the equation.

Both clubs reportedly want to speed up a deal for Irankunda before he jets off to the World Cup with the Socceroos and potentially puts himself even further in the shop window.

In terms of a price tag, Watford are believed to be looking for a fee in excess of £17m, with Bayern Munich holding a 50% sell-on clause.

Why Irankunda could be an even bigger talent than Wharton

Winning the services of the 20-year-old attacker could see Palace snap up another gem from the EFL, much like they did with Adam Wharton, who is now being tipped to move to Liverpool, among other suitors, for a hefty £80m.

Amazingly, though, it could be argued that Irankunda is an even bigger talent than Wharton was when he was gracing the Blackburn Rovers turf, before switching Ewood Park for Selhurst Park.

The soon-to-be World Cup performer will want to follow in the Palace midfielder’s footsteps, though, as Wharton has transformed himself into an exceptional holding midfielder in the Premier League, with five assists collected this campaign, making him an ideal player to liven up Arne Slot’s midfield.

It has been a remarkable three-season rise, with the tenacious Englishman labelled as a “cheat code” in the middle of the park for both his calmness on the ball and his unrelenting energy, by Como first team scout Ben Mattinson.

Yet, Irankunda – when taking into account just Wharton at Blackburn – could be an even more explosive talent.

In his first full season in English football, Irankunda has been a bright and exciting spark to watch from minute one of his journey, with a mightily impressive four goals and four assists next to his name, from only 21 Championship starts, which included a sumptuous free-kick being delightfully powered home during the opening month of the gruelling campaign.

In contrast, Wharton would bow out from the Championship, overall, with the same amount of goal contributions in his back pocket, albeit while operating in a midfield berth.

Creating seven big chances during his sole season at the level, too, next to his English counterpart’s overall tally of five, it’s clear that the 20-year-old could explode even more into life in a Premier League setting, having been noted as possessing “amazing quality” by his under-fire Hornets manager Ed Still, as another topsy-turvy season at Vicarage Road is wrapped up.

Palace’s gambles when previously shopping in the EFL have more than paid off in the past, as evidenced in Wharton, with ex-Watford players such as Ismaila Sarr also hitting the ground running at Selhurst Park.

The hope will be that Irankunda can be another Wharton-level superstar in the near future, with the early signs from his EFL career very promising.