Crystal Palace £22m transfer part of 'embarrassing' crisis at Championship club

It's been a week since Crystal Palace confirmed the signing of Blackburn midfielder Adam Wharton on transfer deadline day having shelled out a reported £22 million for the 20-year-old, who made his Eagles debut off the bench against Brighton last weekend.

The highly-rated star arrives in South London with bags of potential having impressed as a key part of Blackburn's side this season, racking up 26 appearances at the heart of the side's midfield. Wharton came through Rovers' youth academy and played over 50 times for the first team and left with thanks for the 'magical memories' he had created at Ewood Park.

Crystal Palace supporters are still to see Wharton's full abilities on display but the £22 million transfer has led to a chain of disastrous events at the Championship club.

An agreement for Wharton was reached between the two sides last Tuesday and a medical completed on Wednesday ahead of an announcement at around 6 pm on Deadline Day, the Thursday. In the remaining hours before the window shut, it appeared that the move freed up the chance for Blackburn to bring in Orlando City striker Duncan McGuire to the club.

Rovers were reported to have paid a £550,000 loan fee for the player and built into the deal a chance to make that move permanent for around £7.5 million come the end of the season. However, it has now emerged that an 'administrative error' by the Championship club - believed to be documents being saved but not submitted - has resulted in the EFL looking to annul the transfer.

A Blackburn Rovers club statement read: "Duncan McGuire’s proposed loan move to Blackburn Rovers from MLS side Orlando City has not been approved by the EFL to date due to the registration documents being submitted after the 11 pm transfer deadline.

"All of the necessary signed paperwork had been completed prior to 10 pm on Thursday, February 1st, however due to an administrative error, the forms were not processed within the prescribed time. Detailed discussions with legal representatives and the relevant football authorities have taken place over the past few days to try to reach an urgent and positive resolution to the matter."

The player has remained in the UK awaiting a decision but the hiccup has been slammed as 'embarrassing' and 'shambles' by furious Blackburn fans, who had seen their star player leave the club just days earlier.

Now, the Daily Mail reports that the club is set to part ways with manager Jon Dahl Tomasson. That decision is not a result of the transfer error and rather the club's poor run of form with no win in eight league fixtures, but adds to the crisis. Rovers also suffered defeat to relegation rivals QPR last weekend and now sit just five points above the drop zone.