Crystal Palace have opened talks to sign Rangers’ next Adam Wharton

Crystal Palace have one foot in the Conference League final, and now, surely, Oliver Glasner must be dreaming of another title to add to his collection at Selhurst Park.

It is a shame that the Austrian coach is leaving at the end of his contract this summer. Given the stability and success he has associated with the Selhurst Park culture, you have to wonder why he would want to change ground.

After all, Palace will secure a place in the Europa League next season, if they lift the Conference League title.

However, Glasner is not the only one who could leave, sadly, with Adam Wharton also heavily linked with an exit this summer.

The latest on Adam Wharton’s Crystal Palace future

Wharton is one of Crystal Palace’s most important players. If he leaves this summer, it will be tough, but the South Londoners have weathered such storms in the past, coming out on top.

Chairman Steve Parish doesn’t want to sell, but if the likes of Liverpool show a willingness to meet the Englishman’s £80m price tag, it could be too much to resist. However, the Eagles will need someone to replace him.

According to TEAMtalk, Palace have joined the race to sign Rangers star Bailey Rice, who has been named as one of the Premier League clubs ‘pushing’ to sign him.

Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa are also in the process, and the three are said to have held initial discussions with the player’s representatives about his possible ‘path’ to those clubs.

The 19-year-old is one of Scotland’s most exciting prospects, but is expected to leave Ibrox this summer, when his contract expires.

It is no surprise that many Premier League outfits, such as Forest, alongside a number of international clubs, have listed him, but if Palace lose Wharton, they could offer the star footballer a path to the first team.

Why Bailey Rice could be the Palace’s new Wharton

Rice is only 19 years old, but he has the potential to live up to his British name and become one of the Premier League’s best midfielders. If he arrives at Selhurst Park this summer, he could find the perfect place to develop, a hotbed for young and talented players.

He’s good in central defence, but at home in the middle of the park, Rice is a top talent, comfortable on the ball and improving in his decision-making. In that respect, he’s not that different from Wharton, and even though he’s only played in an outfield role for the Rangers this season, he has the ability to play the role that Wharton does so well down the line.

Hailed as a “generational talent” by reporter Matthew Stanger, Wharton will be hard to replace, and there’s no mistaking it. But in Rice, Palace will welcome a player of similar style, someone who has already shown his country that they have the ability to play the same intellectual role.

In the Premiership this season, he has won 61% of his doubles and completed 82% of his passes. Sure, he’s only played eight times, but he’s settled in well, and the flood of English interest suggests his chances at the highest level.

Fingers crossed, Wharton stays at Crystal Palace next season. However, this is one of the greatest midfield talents in the Premier League, almost all of Europe.

There’s a sense that, sooner or later, he’ll be gone, but if the Eagles manage to secure Rice’s signature, they’ll have a spot made for themselves, someone who can guide a title-challenging outfit for years to come.

Forest, who may have lost Elliot Anderson this summer, may have ambitions of their own, confirming that Palace are likely to do everything possible to land the next British defender.