According to The Sun’s Dave Fraser, Stoke City are readying to complete a deal for former Chelsea star Jon Obi Mikel with a medical set for Monday.
The 89-cap former Nigerian star has been a free agent since leaving Turkish Super Liga side Trabzonspor in mid-March this year. He’d been at the Turkish club since July 2019, arriving there on a free transfer from Sky Bet Championship side Middlesbrough.
He’d been at Boro for six months after spending two years with Chinese side TJ Teda after leaving Chelsea on a free transfer in 2017. It was at Stamford Bridge that Mikel made a name for himself after a 2006, £18m transfer from Norwegian side FK Lyn.
33-year-old Mikel made 372 appearances for Chelsea across all competitions (6 goals/13 assists), including 249 appearances in the Premier League (1 goal/11 assists). However, with the Blues heading in a different direction, the hard-working defensive midfielder took his boots to China where he made 31 appearances for Tianjin Teda (3 goals/3 assists).
For the former Chelsea and Boro star, it is ‘next stop’ Stoke with what The Sun’s Fraser says is a one-year deal and a medical set for Monday. He is thought to have been convinced to give it one go in the Championship after being speaking to Michael O’Neill.
Fraser says that O’Neill is “working on a monster summer overhaul of his lacklustre squad” and that the former Chelsea general is “key to his master plan.” Mikel will join Morgan Fox, James Chester and Steven Fletcher as the Stoke City transfer arrivals from this summer.
Here are some reactions from around Twitter:
he is actually heavily linked 😂
— Bailey (@baileyrhysss) August 15, 2020
Nigerian Zidane
— Aaron O’ Neill (@AaronONeill3) August 15, 2020
couldve swron john obi mikel was 33 in 2013
— Sean (@SeanDOlfc) August 15, 2020
No way is Jon Obi Mikel only 33 😳
— Sinu (@Sinu92) August 15, 2020
Stoke signing jon obi mikel and steven fletcher is the most Stoke thing I've seen
— Ben Hadlington (@Benhadlington1) August 15, 2020
Jon Obi Mikel would genuinely enthuse me. A club in our position cannot turn their noses up at a holding midfielder of his quality, especially when we’ve needed a DM since before we got relegated. I still have concerns about the ever-increasing age profile of our squad, though.
— Jamie (@JChatfield94) August 15, 2020
There will be more Stoke fans moaning later today when we sign 33 year old Jon Obi Mikel
— Wayne Thomas (Tommo)🏴STOKE CITY FC (@WTommoSCFC) August 15, 2020
@stokecity announce John obi Mikel
— Levi (@knapper_levi) August 15, 2020
https://twitter.com/Will_Meigh/status/1294614486540853248?s=20