3 reasons why Conte simply must give John Obi Mikel a new contract at Chelsea
It would appear that John Obi Mikel is embarking on his swansong at Chelsea…
The Chelsea veteran has seen his opportunities grow increasingly limited over the last few years, and under Antonio Conte this season – he is yet to play a single minute.
His contract expires at the end of the season, and at present – there appears to be no suggestion of an impending renewal.
Now, granted, John Obi Mikel is not ever going to be, nor should he be, a regular starter with Chelsea – but letting him go, particularly on a free, would be an awful mistake from Antonio Conte.
The veteran Nigerian brings so much to the Chelsea squad – and to lose him could be disastrous.
With that said, here are 3 reasons why Conte simply must give John Obi Mikel a new contract at Chelsea…
Experience
Simply put, at 29-years-old, John Obi Mikel is one of Chelsea’s most experienced players.
He has won everything there is to win, and without players like him in the Chelsea squad – the Blues will prove unsuccessful going forward.
The average age of Chelsea’s squad has been reducing in recent years, which was entirely necessary – but to lose all of Chelsea’s older statesmen would be a disaster.
What’s more, Mikel is one of very few players that know Chelsea inside and out. John Terry is likely to leave at the end of the season, at which point Mikel would be Chelsea’s longest serving player. He must carry on the mantle that Terry will inevitably leave.
Squad Depth
John Obi Mikel has never really been a first team player at Chelsea – but that doesn’t make him any less important than some of Chelsea’s more regular players in recent years.
He provides Conte, just like many managers before him, with some valued squad depth – and that is a hugely undervalued concept.
Most players would not be happy to only play a few minutes here and there – but Mikel is perfectly fine with that.
He isn’t ever going to do anything incredible or play every week – but he plays a very important role.
Reliability
John Obi Mikel has always been a consistent performer – and if there is one thing that you can count on him for it is reliability.
He very rarely ever has a bad game – and that is hugely important in the modern game.
When Chelsea are under the cosh and need a steady hand – Mikel is the guy to call upon.
Keep him, Antonio.