content – Page 7 – John Obi Mikel

Paul Parker claims Paul Pogba Signing is not Better than John obi Mikel

Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Parker has incredibly claimed that his former club’s new signing Paul Pogba is not better than Chelsea midfielder John obi Mikel.

The Nigerian may play as a defensive midfielder with Chelsea, but he is an attacker for Nigeria. Yet, the very low number of goals that he has scored for Chelsea have earned him as a reputation as a mediocre player. Pogba, though, has been developed as a world-class player already and this meant that United had to part ways with a world record transfer fee of £89 million in order to secure his signature.

Some have been of the opinion that Pogba’s huge price is not justifiable since the midfielder has not been world class in terms of statistics. Players who have cost more than £ 70 million include the likes of Luis Suarez, Gonzalo Higuain, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Gareth Bale. These players are renowned as goalscorers with the ability to get at least 30 goals per season in the league. Pogba, on the other hand, has managed only 10 in his previous campaign with Juventus. Pogba’s biggest advantage is that he is only 23 years of age and Mourinho reckons that he can transform the player into one of the best in the world.

“Can he be as good as Roy Keane or Bryan Robson? I wonder about him playing that midfield role.I worry about him making tackles and getting across to close players down because he is rangy.He doesn’t have quick feet and his game is about going to ground. That’s going to be a problem. In a holding position it would be a waste because he’s not a (Claude) Makelele or even a John Obi Mikel because one thing Mikel can do is close people down,” said the former United midfielder.

John obi Mikel is unlikely to be part of the Rio Olympics 2016

John obi Mikel is unlikely to be part of the Rio Olympics 2016, according to the player’s agent.

Even though the Chelsea midfielder has been included in the 25 man squad announced by Nigeria for this competition, the player could miss the tournament since he might want to focus on his club career. Another reason would be that Chelsea may not be interested in sending Mikel to the Olympic tournament just before the start of the new Premier league season. The upcoming campaign is extremely important for the club after a disappointing 2015-16 season.

Rather than just finishing the season empty-handed, the blues finished outside the top six for the first time in almost 2 decades. Hence, they will be without any form of Champions League football in the upcoming campaign. The club are expected to spend big in almost every area of the pitch in order to improve the team for incoming new manager Antonio Conte. Mikel stated towards the end of last season that his future at Chelsea will be determined after talks with the new boss. The Nigerian international has been a fringe player at the club in the last few years, but he was once again back in the reckoning under Guus Hiddink in the last six months.

“I don’t know if he will be available for the Olympic Games or will attend the training camp. The Nigeria Football Federation are in a better position to say whether he will be available for the Games or not,” said Mikel’s agent John Shittu. The Olympic tournament starts just one week before the new Premier League season. Chelsea’s opening game of the Premier league campaign is scheduled on April 13 against archrivals West Ham at Stamford Bridge. Since participating in the Olympics will certainly rule him out of the first few weeks of the season, Chelsea are unlikely to allow his departure.

Mikel to leave Chelsea

John Obi Mikel might be leaving Chelsea in the summer.

The player stated that he is fed up to stay on the bench and that he will look for another club if things do not change for him. He said that it does not matter which club he joins, but he wants to play football.

Chelsea will be managed by Antonio Conte next season, and so far it is unclear whether John Obi Mikel forms part of his plans or not. It is reported that the Italian manager might be interested in some new midfielders, and this may cause Mikel to fall further down the pecking order.

John Obi Mikel said that he want to have further talks with Antonio Conte before deciding whether he will stay at the club or not. He said that he had had a nice chat with the coach so far but he wants to make sure that he will be part of the first team. John Obi Mikel did not play much when Jose Mourinho was managing the team but did had some more playing time under GuusHiddink.

The Nigerian international joined Chelsea in 2006 and is keen to fulfill the remainder of his contract. However, he wants a guarantee that he will be featuring in the team and not be spending his time on the bench. This is why he intends to discuss with Antonio Conte first before deciding whether he will be signing a new contract with the team or not.

Antonio Conte will be taking charge of the team as from next week. He stated that he wants to have some rest following the elimination of Italy from the Euros and that he will assess the team as from next week. He said that managing Chelsea will be a great challenge for him.

John Obi Mikel rejects Fenerbahce as he wants to stay at Stamford Bridge

It’s being rumored that John Obi Mikel has decided to reject offers from Fenerbahce and from Galatasaray as the veteran midfielder wants to continue performing with his current club Chelsea.

According to reports, John Obi Mikel has received offers where he would be earning wages of around £110,000-a-week with those previously mentioned Turkish clubs. The main reason of why it’s believed that the Nigerian midfielder rejected those offers was because he wants to sign a new contract with Chelsea and continue performing with the Premier League club for a few more years.

Making a move to the Turkish Super League is something that many Premier League players have done in the past including: Robin van Persie, Luis Nani and Raul Meireles.

John Obi Mikel is 29 years old and he is a regular starter for Chelsea but it remains uncertain if he will continue playing a significant role for the English club in the upcoming season as there is going to be a new coach at Stamford Bridge and it remains uncertain if the new coach has any plans of utilizing John Obi Mikel when he arrives.

Antonio Conte is the manager will be arriving to Chelsea and John Obi Mikel is hoping that he is part of the plans of the Italian manager.

Valencia is another club that is believed to be interested in signing the 29 year old Nigerian midfielder and are expected to launch an offer for him during the upcoming summer transfer window but John Obi Mikel is hoping that he can remain performing with Chelsea for a few more years as the experienced player has turned into one of the longest serving players of the Premier League club and does not appear to have any real desire of leaving Stamford Bridge.

John obi Mikel comments on his Chelsea future

John obi Mikel was recently quoted as saying that his Chelsea future was dependent on his first-team status under new manager Antonio Conte.

The Italian will be taking over at Chelsea in the summer once the Euro 2016 is done away with. He is yet another managerial change at Stamford Bridge and one that raises doubts about the positions of several players not regarded as first-team stars. This definitely includes Mikel, who has been at the club for almost a decade. After being given the captaincy of the Nigerian national team, Mikel is in a position to want to play regularly.

He recently appeared at he may look elsewhere for first-team opportunities in the summer since it is time that Conte will make him as the first choice defensive midfielder. The 29-year-old has made 35 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea this season, but most of these appearances have come in the second half when Guus Hiddink became the manager. He was largely overlooked by Jose Mourinho – even though the Portuguese brought him to the club in 2006 – and spent much time on the sidelines. Mikel is now in a position to feel that this is no longer good enough for him especially at this age.

However, his agent has provided a sudden U-turn to the story. He now says that Mikel may consider staying at Chelsea beyond the campaign and he could potentially see out his contract. “Mikel has said he is still with Chelsea until the end of his contract next year.Certainly, he is not leaving this summer. At this moment, it is uncertain whether he will renew his contract or leave as a free agent next year,” said his agent. Chelsea have reportedly offered John obi Mikel a new contract, which the player is yet to sign.

John obi Mikel’s future at Chelsea has been under speculation

John obi Mikel’s future at Chelsea has been under speculation in the last few weeks after the player admitted that he would be prepared to change clubs if he is not going to get regular football at Stamford Bridge under the management of Antonio Conte.

The Italian was recently announced as the next Chelsea manager after signing a three-year contract to replace Guus Hiddink. Conte is known as man who places a lot of value upon discipline and tactical knowledge. He has a special relationship with Paul Pogba of Juventus.

The Frenchman is regarded as one of finest young midfielders in world football and is valued in excess of £ 70 million. After the payment of Conte, Pogba has been one of the first names to be linked with Stamford Bridge. In order to afford such inexpensive signing, the blues will have to sell some of their existing players and raise money. The club are reportedly planning to do this by offloading the likes of Mikel and Willian. Mikel was recently named as the new Nigeria captain and it is a major progression from the teenage days when he was seen as a talent not a complete player.

The 28-year-old’s agent says that Chelsea would not have offered the midfielder a new contract if it was for selling him. Mikel is yet to sign on the dotted line.“If Chelsea have plans to sell him, they will not offer him a new contract. It is normal paper talk and not true. Mikel remains a player of Chelsea and wants to finish up the season before weighing his options,” said the player’s agent. After featuring very rarely under José Mourinho, Mikel has been a regular under Guus Hiddink. However, the situation could once again change when the club undergoes a managerial change in the summer with the arrival of Conte.

John Obi Mikel feels that things are better with GuusHiddink

Chelsea have slowly been collecting points and snatching spots in the higher section of the Premier League and this has been happening ever since Jose Mourinho was removed from his managerial position in the English club and replaced by GuusHiddink.

The Dutch coach seems to have given Chelsea stability and John Obi Mikel recently spoken up about what Hiddink has done that has made such a positive and quick impact in Stamford Bridge, according to the Nigerian midfielder, Hiddink simply knows how to communicate with his players better than Jose Mourinho.

According to the Nigerian player, one of the things that GuusHiddink does better than Jose Mourinho is in the way that the Dutch coach talks with his team. Mourinho is known to be a very outspoken manager who makes his voice be heard meanwhile Hiddink is a more relaxed coach who only talks when it’s actually necessary.

“It’s the way Hiddink communicates with the players and maybe that’s what the players felt they didn’t get from the previous manager, Mourinho
“Sometimes players not just because they’re not playing you need to communicate with them. You need to speak to them and don’t just ignore them because players like to be communicated to. This is what Hiddink has brought into the football club. In some ways you barely know he is in there, he is that calm and relaxed.”

John Obi Mikel believes that the way in which GuusHiddinkconnects with the rest of his team has helped Chelsea in improving. There are times when Hiddink is calm and so relaxed that the players don’t even notice him while there are other moments when the Dutch coach is heard. He’s calm when he needs to be and outspoken when it’s needed.

The arrival of GuusHiddink has also given John Obi Mikel a spark of life back to his career as the Nigerian player is now getting more time on the pitch. Obi Mikel had to settle with a place on the sidelines for the majority of the season with Jose Mourinho but now he has the chance to prove his worth in the big stage which is what he needed after having spent such a long time as a bystander.

John obi Mikel may have featured in only eight league games

Chelsea midfielder John obi Mikel may have featured in only eight league games so far, but he is one of the long-standing players in the Chelsea dressing room after having been at the club since 2006.

Still just 28, the Nigerian midfielder has been used sparingly by Jose Mourinho. This was surprising given that Mourinho played a huge role in bringing Mikel to the club during his first spell. Amidst several doubts about his future, the 28-year-old has started featuring more often than not in the last few games. This turnaround has happened since the arrival of Guus Hiddink as the interim manager until the end of the season.

Hiddink has already been in the similar capacity back in 2009. After leading the club to FA Cup success, the Dutchman decided to leave Stamford Bridge in order to honour his contract with the Russian national team. This time around, he is only focused on Chelsea for the time being. Mikel says that the arrival of the Dutchman has immediately brought positive vibes in the dressing room. Even thoughHiddink has been unable to win his first two games in charge – against Watford and Manchester United, the performances have improved tremendously in these two games.

The manager has targeted a win in the next league encounter against Crystal Palace.“I think the atmosphere was fine, always fine but we just weren’t getting the results, I don’t know what it was. Jose is a fantastic manager and will always be a fantastic guy. But sometimes football is a cruel game and you have to move on. He came back to the club a second time and won two trophies but now he’s gone and we have to move on. Is it the right decision? Who knows? We’ll only see in the future,” said Mikel.

John obi Mikel has not been unavailable for some crucial matches

John obi Mikel has not been unavailable for some crucial matches for the Nigerian national team and this has led to former coach Austin Eguavoen stating that it is up to the player to choose his international career.

It has recently been revealed that Mikel did not answer repeated calls from the Nigerian FA to take part in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Tanzania. The nation were crowned as champions only a few years ago and Mikel was an instrumental part of the team. However, he is coming into the time when players consider their international careers in order to focus on club football.

It may be the flavour of the time with Mikel, who is just 28 years old. There have been rumours about the player being unhappy at this club Chelsea. He has not been getting regular game time under Jose Mourinho. Even then, Mikel remains a key part of the Nigerian team. Just two victories in the last five matches this not bode well for the fortunes of manager Sunday Oliseh. Now that Mikel has resisted the opportunity to add to his existing Nigerian caps, it is highly unlikely that he will be available for the friendly matches against Congo and Cameroon in the first week of October.

“Mikel should please understand he doesn’t have any other country to play for apart from Nigeria.He’s one of our best players and plays in one of the best leagues and one of the best clubs in the world. He should put everything humanly possible into it (playing for Nigeria), or he should tell Nigerians ‘I don’t want to play anymore’, and then we can leave him alone. I have been Mikel’s coach since the U17’s, I gave him his debut in the Super Eagles and I recommended him to Samson Siasia when he was the U20 coach,” said Eguavoen.

Sam Sodje is of the opinion that Chelsea midfielder John obi Mikel should stay at Position

Former Nigeria international Sam Sodje is of the opinion that Chelsea midfielder John obi Mikel should stay at Chelsea and fight for his position.

The 28-year-old looked almost certain to leave the club in this transfer window. However, Chelsea’s failure to secure the signing of Paul Pogba before transfer deadline day has left him facing another six months at Stamford Bridge. It is clear that he is no longer the first choice at Chelsea. For several years – after the departure of Mourinho in his first spell, Mikel was the first team regular at Chelsea. He was seen as the replacement for Claude Makelele.

Former Nigeria international Sam Sodje is of the opinion that Chelsea midfielder John obi Mikel should stay at Chelsea and fight for his position.

An attacking midfielder at international level, Mikel plays in an entirely different role for Chelsea. It is anticipated that clubs that are trying to sign him will also search for a similar job from him. He has intense competition for the defensive midfield position at Chelsea. The likes of Ramires, Nemanja Matic,Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and even Kurt Zouma are all capable of playing in this position and are considered to be ahead of Mikel in the pecking order. Last season, the Nigerian international made only six starts in the Premier League. He had just under 700 minutes of league action throughout the campaign.

“Mikel has done brilliant. It is not an easy feat playing for a big team like Chelsea for several seasons, so I want [Nigerians] to be careful about what we wish for him.The English Premier League is a very tough league and hopefully I believe he can do well with the Blues in future.Personally, I want him to stay at Chelsea because he would definitely get his chance to play. Mikel is a top player and Sunday Oliseh himself knows this,” said Sodje. Mikel stands to lose his international place if he does not play regularly.