Midfielder John Mikel Obi has left Chelsea to join Chinese Super League side Tianjin TEDA.<\/p>\n
The 29-year-old Nigerian has played 372 times for Chelsea since joining in 2006 but has not featured this season.<\/p>\n
He said it had been “an honour” to play for the Stamford Bridge club but it was time to “seek a new challenge”.<\/p>\n
Mikel has won two Premier League titles, four FA Cups and the 2012 Champions League during his time at Stamford Bridge.<\/p>\n
“I haven’t featured as much this season as I would have liked and I still have many years in the game ahead of me,” Mikel wrote on Twitter in a message to Chelsea fans.<\/p>\n
“With this in mind, I feel now is the time to seek a new challenge.<\/p>\n
“I’m delighted to be joining Tianjin TEDA FC at a time that the Chinese Super League is really taking off, and I look forward to helping Tianjin TEDA FC continue to grow.<\/p>\n
“To play in the Premier League is every professional player’s ambition.<\/p>\n
“But to play for Chelsea, to become part of the Chelsea family to work with some of the best managers and players in the world, has truly been an honour.<\/p>\n
Mikel is the second Chelsea player to move to the Chinese Super League in recent weeks following Oscar’s transfer to Shanghai SIPG.
\n–
\nBy: BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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