John Obi Mikel Backs Adam Wharton for Manchester United Move
John Obi Mikel has nailed his colours to the mast over Adam Wharton – and he’s painted them red.
The former Chelsea midfielder believes the Crystal Palace starlet is destined for Manchester United, and not in the distant future either. Speaking on his podcast, Obi Mikel backed the 22-year-old to leave Selhurst Park at the end of the season and head straight for Old Trafford.
“I love him! I love Adam Wharton, I'm a big, big fan,” he said. “I think he's going to go places, though, I think next season he will leave Crystal Palace. I think they want to keep him for one more season. I see him going to Manchester United next season.”
It’s a bold prediction. The market valuation alone tells you why Wharton is drawing that kind of attention. Transfermarkt currently rate him at £60 million, and Palace held firm through the recent window despite interest from a string of clubs.
United were among the admirers. Scouts liked what they saw, talks were held internally, and Wharton’s name sat high on their midfield lists heading into the summer. Then INEOS went another way.
Carrick’s midfield rebuilt without Wharton
Rather than test Palace’s resolve, United tore up their midfield blueprint and wrote a new one around three different names.
- Andrey Santos arrived.
- Carlos Baleba followed.
- Youri Tielemans completed the reshaping.
Between them, the trio cost an upfront £148 million, a clear statement that Michael Carrick’s engine room has already been rebuilt for the medium term.
That investment changes the picture for Wharton. Where there might once have been a gap in United’s midfield for a young, progressive passer to grow into, there is now a crowded room and a large bill already paid.
So while Obi Mikel talks up a move to Manchester, those close to United’s planning see it very differently. Inside M16, Wharton is no longer viewed as a concrete target.
Defence, not midfield, on INEOS radar
The shift is logical. Having poured money into midfield this year, INEOS are expected to move their gaze to the backline in the next major window.
United chose not to add a single defender to Carrick’s squad over the last few months. That call has already raised eyebrows. One serious injury in defence and the decision could haunt their season, especially with Champions League football back on the calendar and the schedule about to tighten.
The hierarchy know it. The next big outlay is widely expected to come at the back rather than in the middle of the pitch.
Lewis Hall lined up as long-term Shaw successor
Within that defensive rethink, one name stands out.
As things stand, Lewis Hall is believed to be United’s priority signing for 2027. The left-sided defender is viewed internally as the ideal long-term successor to Luke Shaw, who turns 32 that year and is already into the final nine months of his current deal at Old Trafford.
Shaw’s contract situation only sharpens the focus. While Obi Mikel sees Wharton striding out at the Theatre of Dreams next season, the club’s own roadmap points elsewhere – to a future in which the big money and the big debates centre on the back four, not another midfielder.
So Wharton’s rise continues at Crystal Palace, his value climbing, his admirers growing. But unless INEOS rip up their plans again, the path from Selhurst Park to Old Trafford looks far less certain than Obi Mikel suggests.
