StoryJohn obi Mikel is coming to the end of his glittering Chelsea career

After making just 12 league appearances so far this campaign, it looks like John obi Mikel is coming to the end of his glittering Chelsea career.

The Nigerian international has won several major trophies including the Champions League during his long spell with the blues. He had joined Chelsea as a teenager back in 2007. Now after 10 years, Mikel is believed to be on the verge of an exit after falling down the pecking order. Nemanja Matic, who was brought to the club in a £ 20 million deal from Benfica, has been a regular first-team player.

This has seen Mikel make only a few appearances from the starting spot. He has scored one goal this season. At 28 years of age, he is fast approaching the end of the prime. Chelsea may want to cash in on the midfielder as soon as possible. Mikel may be offered a route into another top club after Real Madrid have emerged as the major suitors for his signature. The Spanish club will be losing a defensive midfielder in the form of Sami Khedira on a free transfer in the summer. In order to replace him, they have reportedly identified Mikel as the alternative. This is largely because the 28-year-old will be available for a considerably lower transfer fee than some of the other targets.

Mikel still has two years left on his current contract and it is highly unlikely that he will be offered a new deal with him struggling to make first-team opportunities. They lost completed full 90 minutes of football back in January in the 1-1 draw against Liverpool. This match was in the League Cup semi-final and Chelsea went on to win the trophy by beating Tottenham in the final. In comparison, Matic is close to appearing in 40 matches across all competitions.