Super Eagles Captain, John Obi Mikel yesterday revealed that he has cancelled his contract with Chinese Super League club, Tianjin Teda, a year before the end of his current deal. MIkel did not travel with Tianjin Teda for a pre-season training camp in Spain, as he is negotiating with the club to break his contract.
In an interview with Tianjin TV Sports New Vision programme, Mikel said: “I broke the contract with the club, which means I will leave Teda. As for my next stop, I am not sure yet, maybe I will return to Europe, maybe stay in China. “Anyway, I would like to wish the TEDA team good luck next season.” Mikel performed well for Tianjin Teda in the first half of the 2018 season but struggled with injuries in the second half after representing Nigeria at the World Cup.
Throughout his stay in China, the central midfielder cum defender featured in 31 Super League matches, scoring three goals (three assists). Meanwhile, Super Eagles’ Striker, Odion Ighalo is reportedly attracting interest from English Premier League club, Southampton.
Ighalo previously stated that he is keen to leave Changchun Yatai following their relegation from the Chinese Super League (CSL). The 29-year-old scored 21 goals in 28 games for the club last season, but it was not enough to keep them up. Several Turkish clubs are also said to be interested in his services.
Ighalo previously played for Watford in England’s top-flight. The burly forward scored 40 goals in 100 appearances for the Hornets, including 17 in 55 Premier League matches for the club. The former Udinese and Granada forward is the joint-top scorer in 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification with six goals. He missed the Super Eagles most recent qualifier, a 1-1 draw away to South Africa last November due to injury. The Guardian
Pix: John Mikel Obi