Super Eagles skipper and Chelsea’s current second longest serving player, John Obi Mikel won’t be leaving the Stamford Bridge on loan this January according to FIFA rules.
Mikel Obi
The Nigerian captain has been frozen out of the first-team set up at Chelsea since coach Antonio Conte took charge of the London club, although he is most likely to leave the team in January in search of first-team football, but a loan move definitely won’t be the case.
Going by FIFA regulations, a player in the final six months of his deal can’t leave on loan to another team, and Mikel is in the final six months of his contract at Chelsea after 11 trophy-laden years at the club winning the Premier League and Champions League.
Mikel can only leave on a permanent transfer which best explains the reason why the Super Eagles captain is weighing up offers properly before commit- ting to any of the clubs interested in his services.
Inter-Milan, Marseille and three teams in China namely Shanghai SIPG, Hebei Fortune and Shanghai Shenhua have all inquired about the availability of the Olympic Bronze Medalist this winter, when the transfer window opens in January.
It is however believed that Mikel wants to remain in Europe, due to family reasons instead of a move to China where he will definitely earn more.
