TRANSFER: inter budgets £10m for Mikel

Inter set to splash £10m on Mikel
14 Apr 2014 21:19:18
Sammy Wejinya
Eighteen-time Italian
champions Internazionale
are ready to fork out £ £10-
million (about N2.7 billion)
for Nigeria international
midfielder John Obi Mikel.
The British media reported last week that
Internazionale president Erick Thohir flew to
London to watch Chelsea’s Uefa Champions
League quarterfinal match against PSG at
Stamford Bridge to monitor Mikel and a host
of other Blues players.
It has also been reported that another
Chelsea player Thohir is considering making
a swoop for is Fernando Torres.
Other Premier League stars like Manchester
City striker Edin Dzeko and Arsenal defender
Bacary Sagna are also said to be on the Inter
wish list.
So far , Inter have signalled their intent by
securing the services of Nemanja Vidic from
Manchester United who will be playing his
football at the Giuseppe Meazza from next
season.
Mikel, who has been consistently linked with
a move to the Italian outfit, has lost his place
in the Chelsea first team following the arrival
of Serbian midfielder Nemanja Matic from
Benfica in January.
Authoritative British newspaper the London
Evening Standard insists that Inter Milan are
ready to mount a £10-million summer move
for Mikel.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has since
revealed that he is looking to overhaul his
squad during the coming transfer window
and Mikel is believed to be among a host of
top stars heading towards the exit door at
Stamford Bridge.
“We want to improve the team and the
players and make some surgical movements
in the transfer window.
“Normally at the end of the season, players
that are not playing a lot or who are not
happy and prefer a change, that is also part
of the market,” Mourinho said in March.
The newspaper further reports that the
holding midfielder may well be tempted by a
change of scenery and the chance to get his
career back on track in Milan.
Mikel has been at Chelsea for eight years
after arriving in controversial circumstances.
It was thought that the now 26-year-old was
set to join Manchester United originally, but
Mourinho’s side pounced to steal him away
from Lyn Oslo in Norway after a
compensation deal was settled between the
three clubs.
Mikel has scored once in 22 league
appearances for Chelsea this season.
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