John Obi Mikel is considering his future at Chelsea as a series of Chinese clubs prepare to make him a big-money offer, according to the London Evening Standard.
The London Evening Standard claims that at least three Chinese teams are exploring the possibility of signing Mikel, including Jiangsu Suning and Shanghai SIPG.
Jiangsu bought Ramires from Chelsea for £25m in January – fee reported by the London Evening Standard – and Oscar and Radamel Falcao have also been courted.
Ramires’s exit and the reappointment of Guus Hiddink as interim manager has helped Mikel reestablish himself as a important first-team player at Stamford Bridge.
The Nigerian had been demoted to a fringe player by Jose Mourinho, but he has returned to prominence by starting 14 out of Chelsea’s last 18 games in all competitions.
Yet his future with the Blues could come under threat again when Hiddink departs at the end of the season, with Italy coach Antonio Conte expected to take charge.
And the London Evening Standard reports that Conte has put midfielders Paul Pogba, Arturo Vidal, Radja Nainggolan and Miralem Pjanic on his shortlist of transfer targets.
The London Evening Standard adds that Mikel could pocket plenty more than his £70,000-per-week Chelsea salary in China, and will take time to weigh up his options.
The 28-year-old has been with the Londoners for nearly a decade. He has made 365 appearances for Chelsea, scoring six goals and winning two Premier League titles.
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