John
Obi Mikel has confirmed he will talk to other clubs in January ahead of what
could be the end of his 11-year stay at Chelsea.
The Nigerian midfielder has not played for the Blues under Antonio Conte
despite being a regular in the team for the second half of last season.
Mikel made 33 appearances last term but his contract is due to expire in the
summer and he will therefore explore his options in the January transfer
window.
"When you have a year left, in January you are allowed to talk to other
clubs and sign a pre-contract or have an agreement so, yes, I will talk to
other clubs because you never know what is going to happen," said the
29-year-old Mikel, who was not named in Chelsea's squad for their EFL Cup
tie against Leicester City on Tuesday night.
"If it is going to be the Premier League there will be options. If it is
China or some other places, we will see. One thing is for sure, I will make
the best decision.
"I've been here for a long, long time. I've spent 11 years of my life in
this football club, it is my home. This season is the last at the club if my
contract ends. I am quite relaxed about it, the future looks good."
Mikel has been with Chelsea since June 2006 and has made 368 first-team
appearances.
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