Chelsea said to be preparing to offer Mikel a new contract after Conte said he wants him

ENGLISH Premiership side Chelsea are preparing to offer Super Eagles skipper Mikel Obi a new contract after incoming manager Antonio Conte revealed that he was impressed with the midfielder and he is central to his plans for the club.

 

Mikel, 29, has been at Chelsea since 2006 and has been the subject of a lot of speculation lately when former manager Jose Mourinho considered him surplus to requirements. However, earlier on in the season, Dutch manager Gus Hiddink took over from Mourinho and Mikel has been an ever-present in his teams.

 

Following the confidence Hiddink has shown in Mikel, the player has blossomed over the last few months and it appears that Conte has been impressed with what he has seen. Conte, who will take over the reins at Stamford Bridge for three years at the end of the season, has reportedly held a number of individual talks with the players, including Mikel.

 

Mikel has a year left on his current contract and if a new deal is agreed, it would well mean that he ends his playing days at Chelsea. Turkish Super Lig powerhouses Galatasaray and Fenerbahce are reported to have revived their interest in Mikel lately, despite him snubbing a £110,000-a-week deal to dump Chelsea for either of the Istanbul outfits during the January transfer window.

 

Mikel has also been linked with a move to Monaco and clubs in Asia but it is now believed he will reject such lucrative offers and stay at the London side. This is despite the fact that Roma's hard-tackling midfielder Radja Nainggolan, is set to become Conte’s first signing at Chelsea when he takes over.