Nigerian national team captain John Obi Mikel appears to be close to completing a move to struggling French Ligue 1 club Olympique Marseille, if Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr is correct.
Mikel has been frustrated at Chelsea this season, failing to appear on the pitch for the first team this term under new coach Antonio Conte. The lack of playing time is a serious problem for the 29-year-old, who is skipper of the West African country’s national team.
He has been a consistent performer and mainstay in the first team since his arrival at the club back in 2006, appearing over 350 times for the club during a long career in London that has seen the midfielder become Chelsea’s second longest-serving player behind club captain, John Terry.
Mikel’s situation has been a point of concern for national team coach Rohr, who believes that a player of his calibre should be playing club football day in and day out. The tactician revealed that his captain is seriously considering a potential move to France.
Gernot Rohr reveals Marseille interest
“I saw Obi Mikel in London. He is in advanced discussions with Olympique Marseille,” the coach admitted. “He will leave Chelsea for free. This is a serious option,” Rohr said, according to TheMetro.
With the midfielder’s contract at Stamford Bridge set to expire at the end of the current season, and considering his failure to feature in Conte’s side, the club may decide to release him as a free agent in January. Teams in China, Italy, and Turkey have expressed interest, but France seems to be his likely destination.
Marseille were keen on securing his services during the pre-season transfer window, but they were not in a position to match a reported £3.4m-a-year salary, and that scuppered the move.
The situation has since changed, however, as former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt bought the French club in October, and has made promises to put his money where his mouth is in the January transfer window in order to build a team that is capable of competing in Europe.
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