Chelsea midfielder eyeing January exit

Nigerian midfielder Mikel John Obi has plans of leaving Chelsea in the winter transfer window. The 29-year-old has yet to kick the ball for the Blues this season.

Mikel has been eluded of first-team opportunities this term with Antonio Conte preferring the likes of N'Golo Kante, Nemanja Matic, Cesc Fabregas and Ruben Loftus-Cheek ahead of him in the pecking order.

While speaking to ESPN, the anchorman revealed he will decide on his next challenge in January after it became evident that his career is up at Stamford Bridge.

"For the first time in my career, this is happening to me and I have to stand up and deal with it," he told the source.

"I've been at Chelsea a long time. Managers come and go, players come and go. I've been at Chelsea a long time and these things happen in football."

Mikel, who is currently in the final year of his contract, has earned exactly 372 appearances for Chelsea in all competitions.