Tottenham may have to pay a Declan Rice style fee to sign Thomas Frank’s ‘dream’ target

Tottenham Hotspur are showing significant ambition in the summer transfer window, having already secured the signing of Mohammed Kudus from West Ham and expressing interest in Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White.

Their midfield rebuild also includes Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton, identified as a 'dream' target for manager Thomas Frank. However, Crystal Palace are reluctant to sell Wharton, especially as they face potential departures of other key players like Marc Guehi and interest from Arsenal in Eberechi Eze.

According to transfer insider Dean Jones, Crystal Palace now value Adam Wharton at over £80 million. The club internally believes they should aim for a fee similar to the £105 million Arsenal paid West Ham for Declan Rice two years ago, stating "there’s no reason they shouldn’t aim for a Rice-style fee".

While acknowledging Wharton is a brilliant player, the article argues Palace may not be entitled to such a high fee. Statistical comparisons show that Rice was demonstrably superior during his time at West Ham compared to Wharton at Palace, outperforming him in key areas like goal contributions, defensive actions, and attacking impact.

Consequently, although Tottenham are very keen on the England international, securing a deal appears unlikely if Crystal Palace maintains its demand for an astronomical transfer fee exceeding £80 million.