Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has completed his move to Chinese club Tianjin.
The transfer was confirmed on social media and a picture of Mikel shaking hands with a Tianjin official holding the club’s shirt also surfaced online.
The Nigerian midfielder was not a part of Antonio Conte‘s first team plans and has therefore decided to kick-start his career with a move away from Stamford Bridge.
Mikel was linked with a move to Ligue 1 and La Liga as well, but it seems that Chinese money has influenced his decision here. The 29-year-old is the second Chelsea player heading to China this month. Oscar completed a big money move to Shanghai earlier.
According to Daily Mail, Mikel will reportedly earn £140,000 a week at his new club and has already completed his medical. The defensive midfielder had his medical yesterday and has signed a three-year contract with Tianjin.
Mikel spent 11 years at Chelsea and has won all the major honours with the Blues including the Champions League.
The Nigerian international has written a farewell message to the Chelsea fans, thanking them for their support. He also explained the reason behind his decision and claimed that the lack of playing time was a big issue for him.
A letter to my Chelsea family. ?⚪️ pic.twitter.com/FhcUyq3iaV
— Mikel John Obi (@mikel_john_obi) January 6, 2017
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
