Mikel to join Stoke on one-year-deal

Stoke City are set to sign former Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi on a one-year deal.

The former Nigeria captain, 33, is a free agent having left Turkish side Trabzonspor by mutual consent in March.

Earlier this week the Nigerian told BBC Sport Africa he was open to a return to English football.

Mikel made 249 Premier League appearances for Chelsea in an 11-year spell, which ended when he left Stamford Bridge in 2017.

He won the Champions League and Europa League, two Premier Leagues, three FA Cups and the League Cup with the London side.

After leaving Stamford Bridge he joined Chinese side Tianjin TEDA and had a brief spell at Middlesbrough in 2019.

Mikel won 89 caps for Nigeria, playing in two World Cups and helping the Super Eagles win the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, before announcing his retirement from international football last summer.

Championship side Stoke won three of their last four games in 2019/20 to pull away from relegation trouble and finish 15th under former Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill. Punch