The midfielder has claimed he could leave Stamford Bridge if he isn’t guaranteed a first-team place next season
John Obi Mikel has claimed he could leave Chelsea if he doesn’t get a starting spot in the team next season.
Under Jose Mourinho, the midfielder struggled for gametime but as soon as the Special One left the club – and Guus Hiddink came in on an interim basis – he began to feature more in the first-team and has since become a key player in the centre of the pitch for the Blues.
However, it isn’t likely that Guus Hiddink will take over permanently, with Antonio Conte expected to take the reigns at Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.
It could be bad news for the 28-year old, as the new boss might decide that he doesn’t see Obi Mikel as a first-team player. If this is the case, then we could see the midfielder leave Chelsea after ten years with the club.
One year left on current deal
The Nigerian has admitted that he doesn’t want to stop playing regular first-team football and if a new boss comes in and decides not to give it him, then he could be on his way out. He said: “I have one more season with Chelsea but I know when this season ends, we will definitely sit down and try to sort out whatever needs to be sorted out.
“If it means me leaving, fine. If it means me staying, then I have to play because one thing I don’t want to do is to sit on the bench like I did before.”
Obi Mikel has just one year left on his current deal – it expires at the end of this current campaign – and he would need to sign a new one pretty quickly if he was to stay at Stamford Bridge – and if Chelsea do want to keep him – otherwise he could end up leaving for nothing.
