The potential £70million Real Madrid swoop could have implications for Sunderland

Real Madrid are reportedly keen on a deal for Crystal Palace and England man Adam Wharton - which could have implications for Sunderland in the summer.

The Spanish giants have sent staff to monitor the Palace midfielder's progress after his injury return and likely call-up to Thomas Tuchel’s England squad. Indeed, the Daily Mail claims that Juni Calafat, chief scout with Real Madrid, is a “confirmed admirer” of the 21-year-old.

Reports have suggested that Real Madrid could come in with huge money in the region of £70million for the midfielder but could also face competition from Manchester City and Liverpool. Wharton’s potential departure, however, would leave Palace with cash to spend and a hole to fill in their team.

Recent reports have claimed that Sunderland duo Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg are part of a three-man transfer shortlist drawn up by Premier League outfit Crystal Palace ahead of the summer transfer window, which could be fast-tracked by Wharton’s sale.

Football Insider have suggested that Palace are beginning to firm up plans ahead of a prospective double swoop at the end of the campaign. According to the online outlet, the Eagles are “plotting deals” for both Bellingham and Rigg, as well as Southampton teenager Tyler Dibling, who has impressed during his debut campaign in the Premier League.

Former Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers chief scout Mick Brown has also made a claim about the situation. He said: “There are a few players they [Crystal Palace] have had scouts looking at. What Palace will do, and they’ve got a good record of doing it, is they will be keeping a close eye on the Championship and the young players in that division.”

“They have to make sure they scout these players thoroughly and from what I hear, Crystal Palace do that. These players like the couple of Sunderland lads, Chris Rigg, Jobe Bellingham and people like him are on their radar - and the lad from Southampton, Dibling.

“It’s a big part of their plan and they’ve had success with it before. You look at what they’ve done with players like [Eberechi] Eze, [Marc] Guehi, [Michael] Olise. It’s a tried and tested method for them and as long as they keep putting in the work off the field to identify these players, it should continue to pay off. So I expect in the summer those three are players they’ll be looking at, and there will probably be more as well who haven’t been mentioned yet.”

The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC Channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates directly to your phone. Simply click this link to join our SAFC WhatsApp channel.

Bellingham and Rigg have also made headlines in recent days after the pair were jointly awarded the Young Player of the Year at Sunday night’s North East Football Writers Association ceremony.

Speaking about the recognition, Bellingham said: “It's a testament to everyone at the club really, from top to bottom, that two players can win this award. It shows that we're willing to nurture players and then get the best out of them, which we've done not just with me and Riggy but with many players as you've seen in the squad and down the years recently.

He continued: “I think it will show maybe other players that the club are interested in that this is a really good place to be for young players and it helps you develop, helps you play for a massive club which you get massive experiences from, and then it helps you grow and also compete.”