Stoke City midfielder Charlie Adam has recommended Manchester United to go after Chelsea captain John Terry when he leaves the West London outfit in the summer. The former England captain has announced his decision to leave Chelsea at the end of the season. It would be a monumental exit, as he has been the face of Chelsea for more than two decades. Terry is primarily leaving the club in the search for regular first-team opportunities, as he still believes that he can give his best at the top level. At 36 years of age, he has the capability to go on playing for the next couple of years if he manages to overcome injury issues.

United are in the market for a new central defender with the club reportedly considering Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane as one of the options. Swedish centre back Victor Lindelof has been a target for more than six months, and the club even came close to signing him during January for around £38million. However, Terry would represent a significantly cheaper alternative since he would be available for free. Manager Jose Mourinho shares a great bond with Terry after having won numerous titles like the Premier League and FA Cup together.

While the possibility of seeing Terry in the red of Manchester United is a nonstarter, Charlie Adam believes that Mourinho will be able to convince the player to make the move to Old Trafford. Such a move would benefit all parties, according to the Stoke City midfielder. Terry will be able to marshal a young defence that consists of Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, and Luke Shaw, while also providing United with a much-needed quality option from the bench. Adam said:

“Could I see Terry in a United shirt? I couldn’t. But, if I was Mourinho I’d go and take him. I’d say to him, ‘look, come and play for a year’. And why not? He’s a leader, a winner.”

Apart from the rivalry between United and Chelsea, Terry will also think twice about an offer from United considering that he is unlikely to play a lot of regular first-team football even at Old Trafford. The defender has also been taking his coaching badges and is widely expected to move into management in the near future. Considering his strong Chelsea links, Terry may also fear that moving to United may alienate him from the Chelsea faithful in a similar way to that of Frank Lampard saga.