Chelsea are set to complete the signing of Leicester City midfielder, N’Golo Kante, for £30million.
His arrival casts doubt over the future of Super Eagles skipper, John Obi Mikel, given the Frenchman’s stunning performances for both club and country.
Mikel’s quest is further crippled by his decision to be part of the 2016 Rio Olympics with the Dream Team VI – which will make him unavailable for the early part of the season.
But like a cat with nine lives, the Nigeria skipper will most likely overcome this latest phase in his career after having to deal with similar challenge throughout his 10 years at the club.
Here is why Mikel will still play a huge part in Antonio Conte’s debut season despite Kante’s signing.
- Experience
He might no longer have the legs to make dashing runs or speed to cover spaces, but Mikel sure has loads of experience under his belt. With 247 appearances and a decade at the cub, Mikel now 29, is currently the second longest serving player after skipper, John Terry.
- Pass Accuracy
Kante might be the engine room behind Leicester’s successful title winning campaign, but Mikel proved to be equally indispensable despite the Blues’ abysmal defence. The Nigerian made more passes (1091) compared to Kante (195) with a superior 90% accuracy.
- Flexibility
From Jose Mourinho’s first spell to his last, Mikel has proven to be every manager’s player by impressively adapting to their style of play. The midfielder has survived several high profile coaches including Carlo Ancelotti and Luiz Felipe Scolari as well as competing with the very best such as Claude Makelele, Michael Ballack and Deco.
- Exposure
Unlike Kante who has neither Champions League nor FIFA World Cup experience, Mikel has seen them all. The Nigerian has won both UEFA top prizes as well as clinched luxuries of domestic titles with Chelsea. He is also an Africa Cup of Nations winner with 75 caps compared to Kante’s paltry five with France.
- Understands the club’s philosophy
New Chelsea boss Conte will be looking up to the likes of Terry, Mikel and Branislav Ivanovic to help guide him through this season. The trio are the longest serving players in the current squad and understands the history and philosophy of the club.
