Chelsea star John Obi Mikel considering leaving the club

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The Nigeria international has been at Stamford Bridge for 11 years, but has found opportunities scarce under Antonio Conte this season.

Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has admitted he will be looking to leave the club if the Blues do not him offer him a new deal, as revealed in a report by Goal.

The Nigeria international is in the final year of his contract, but Chelsea have reportedly not yet opened up negotiations for a new deal.

Mikel has been at Chelsea since joining the club in 2005, but under new manager Antonio Conte he has struggled for first-team football so far this season.

Since he will be allowed to talk to other clubs in January about a move, the 29-year-old has accepted that his days with the Blues may be coming to an end.

“I have one year left [on my contract],” Mikel told Goal. “When you have a year left as a football player, you have to start planning and start thinking about what’s going to happen at the end of the season. Yes, there are going to be rumours, yes, there are going to be conversations between clubs.

“When you have a year left, in January, you are allowed to talk to other clubs and sign a pre-contract or have an agreement so, yes, I will talk to other clubs because you never know what is going to happen.”

“I’ve been here for a long, long time. I’ve spent 11 years of my life in this football club, it is my home.

“This season is the last at the club if my contract ends. I am quite relaxed about it, the future looks good.”

Speaking about the possibility of a new deal at Chelsea, Mikel continued: “I am always open to a new conversation, a negotiation [with Chelsea].

“But if there’s none, the future still looks bright. One day you have to move on. I think my memories here, my achievements here, are something that no one will ever take away from me.”

Mikel has seen his place in the first-team taken by new arrival N’Golo Kante but, with the Premier League season still in its infancy, the Nigerian may yet be able to force himself into Conte’s plans in the weeks and months ahead.