Turkish giants Besiktas are ready to make a fresh bid for Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi in the January transfer window.
Mikel has been linked with the club several times in the past two seasons, but no concrete discussion was ever held between the parties in those periods.
The Turkish league leaders are keen to add to their squad as they eye a return to the Champions League, and the 28-year-old has emerged as one of their top targets.
According to reports in Turkey, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho and owner Roman Abramovich are both willing to let the Nigeria midfielder leave, providing Besiktas meet their asking price.
“Besiktas are trying to sign Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel in the forthcoming transfer window that opens in January,” Fichajes reports.
Besiktas president Fikret Oman also confirmed that the club had been looking towards the winter transfer before making the bid, despite coach Senol Gunes’ second thought about the transfer.
Oman said, “If Gunes had given the go-ahead we were going to sign Mikel (last summer), and we could enter the race again over the winter break.”
Mikel has spent most of his career at Chelsea, where he arrived in 2006 as a 19-year-old from FC Lyn Oslo. He has won all titles with Chelsea, including two Premier League crowns, one Champions League title, one Europa League and four FA Cup trophies.
Mikel has been out of the Chelsea starting line-up since Mourinho returned to Stamford Bridge two seasons ago. Nemanja Matic has been preferred to the Nigerian in the defensive midfield role.