The future still looks uncertain for Super Eagles team captain, John Obi Mikel, if a declaration yesterday by Chelsea manager, Antonio Conte that there is no news to report concerning his transfer this January are anything to go by.
Mikel
Mikel has been frozen out of the Chelsea team as he has yet to make a competitive appearance for the side this season.
The Super Eagles midfielder has been linked with a January move away from the club with Olympique Marseille, Valencia and a club in the Chinese Super League mentioned among his suitors.
But Conte stated in his press conference that he had no concrete news about a possible transfer for Mikel.
“For now, we haven’t got any news about Mikel,” Conte said when he was asked if Mikel will leave the club this month.
The 29-year-old joined Chelsea in 2006 in a protracted transfer, having initially signed a deal with Manchester United.
The Blues ended up paying United £12 million for the midfielder, plus £4 million to Norwegian side Lyn Oslo.
Meanwhile, Nigerian winger, Samuel Kalu has signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with former Belgian Champions KAA Gent from Slovakian side AS Trencin for an undisclosed fee.
Kalu will join his compatriots Moses Simon, Anderson Esiti, Rabiu Ibrahim and William Troost-Ekong at the Belgian side.
The 19-year-old will also be the third Nigerian who has moved from Trencin to Gent after Rabiu Ibrahim and Moses Simon.
Kalu, who can play from the wing or as a second striker, joined Trencin in January 2016 and won the Slovakian league title with them as well as the Slovakian Cup.
The winger played 42 matches for Trencin, scoring six goals and providing eight assists in his debut season in Europe which prompted Gent to sign him on.
Kalu, like Moses Simon, is a product of GBS Academy in Jos, Nigeria, and will continue his football education with the Buffaloes until 2020.
