Losing a player from the academy is tough, especially one as talented as Adam Wharton.

Blackburn Rovers' teenage superstar has flown the nest, only seven and a half weeks after signing a new five-year contract at the club.

The fresh terms were a smoke screen, to protect Wharton's value and also reward him for his rise to prominence in the first team. A sale always seemed likely, though it was envisaged that the summer would be ideal timing to cut the umbilical cord.

Rovers knew they had a player on their hands from the moment he was given a taste of first-team life under Jon Dahl Tomasson in pre-season. He featured heavily in their Scotland training camp and was head and shoulders above the rest against Dundee FC in an early friendly.

Rovers only had Lewis Travis and John Buckley as senior midfielders so Wharton, and Garrett, got their chance. He never looked back.

Wharton's full Championship debut at Blackpool earned him plenty of plaudits. Live on Sky Sports, his performance caught the eye and had fans raving. It had scouts raising their eyebrows too.

Tomasson played down Wharton's display in the media. That was a red herring. Rovers simply didn't want to attract any on-looking gazes with 24 hours of the summer transfer window remaining.

The window indeed shut without any offers and Rovers signed Wharton to a long-term contract. Five years until 2027, security for the club and a dream come true for the boyhood Rovers fan, desperate to follow in the footsteps of his brother into the first team.

Wharton's rise to fame hasn't always been a smooth ride. After bursting onto the scene, as Micah Richards would say, he had time out of the side over Christmas. A foot injury played its part but Tomasson also spoke about his application and maintaining high standards.

That was arguably the making of Wharton. This was never a player with a chip on his shoulder or a poor attitude. But perhaps a teenager who needed a gentle reminder of the areas he still needed to develop.

After a spell out of the side, Wharton returned during the run-in and looked a class above again. Rovers were beaten 1-0 by Burnley at Ewood Park, a painful night as their bitter rivals won the Championship on their turf, but Wharton ran the game. He weaved and jinked around seasoned pros as if they weren't there.

A summer of speculation amounted to very little other than half-hearted enquiries and rumours. Nobody actually tabled a serious offer for Wharton and Rovers were in no rush to sell.

On the pitch, it was clear he was not just an exciting talent but an integral part of Rovers' set-up. His performance at Chelsea caught the eye at Stamford Bridge with the national spotlight glaring on him.

His development this season has been significant and the new contract in December was a real shock, especially without a release clause. It was only after digging a little deeper that it signified little in the way of assurances.

That said, Rovers still expected him to be here on February 2. It wasn't until Crystal Palace decided to steal a march on their rivals that the possibility of losing him became very real. The club resisted and tried to insist on a loan-back clause. In the end, the offer was too good to refuse.

Wharton is a local lad and would have never agitated for a move. That said, the noises suggested he was open to the possibility of proving himself in the Premier League. Why wouldn't he be? As Tomasson said, players should always be ambitious.

If Wharton were any more laid back as a person, he'd be horizontal. Nothing seems to phase him but he's clearly an intelligent, deep thinker. He has every chance of making right at the very top of the game. Champions League level and maybe an England international, in the eyes of his manager.

Nobody could begrudge the teenager a Premier League move. Crystal Palace have a reputation for developing talented Championship diamonds; just look at Ebere Eze and Michael Olise.

The most important thing for Rovers was to extract the best value. I'm sure Wharton will genuinely depart comforted in the fact his hometown team have benefitted handsomely for their part in his development. A 'club record' sale.

This was always the plan, wasn't it? The player-trading model is in full effect. The money received for Wharton could fund the club for a season, for context, it is not an insignificant amount of cash.

Financial Fair Play is always a consideration for any club running at huge losses, as Rovers do. They were always going to need to balance the books at one stage or another.

With little spent in the January transfer window, it will hopefully give Rovers far more flexibility in the summer. The club were never likely to go on a wild spending spree mid-season but you'd hope they will have more wiggle room in the summer.

The challenge is now to reinvest the money, as Brentford, Brighton and countless others have. Gregg Broughton has the chance to show he and his recruitment team have the necessary skills to extract value and reinvest wisely.

This is the first real test of Blackburn Rovers' new model. They will, hopefully, be armed with more firepower in the summer and will have months to plan their next move to give Tomasson, potentially, one last shot at promotion.