Mikel Obi to join Stoke City

Mikel Obi, former Super Eagles captain and midfielder, is set for a return to English football by signing for Stoke City.

According to BBC, the 33-year-old playmaker is expected to complete a one-year deal with the English championship side on Monday.

Obi has been a free agent since he departed Trabzonspor, a Turkish football club, by mutual consent in March.

The midfield player joined Chelsea in 2006 and had an impressive stints during his 11-year spell at the club.

He secured 249 league appearances for the Blues and won the Champions League, Europa League, two Premier Leagues, three FA Cups and the League Cup before exiting the club in 2017.

Since leaving Stamford Bridge, Mikel has featured for Tianjin TEDA, a Chinese side, Middlesbrough and Trabzonspor.

He was an integral part of the Super Eagles before his retirement, where he had 89 appearances in all competitions.

He featured in two World Cups and was a major inspiration behind the Super Eagles’ 2013 Africa Cup of Nations victory.

Stoke City would be hoping his signing would further boost the club’s chase for a Premier League return.

The championship side ended the 2019-2020 season on a high note after winning three of their last four games to survive relegation and eventually occupied the 15th spot on the table.