John Obi Mikel admits he could leave Chelsea in the summer if he is not given assurances about first-team football next season.
The 28-year-old is enjoying his finest run in the Chelsea starting XI since his arrival from Lyon in 2006 but his status in the team is likely to change when Guus Hiddink leaves at the end of the season.
Mikel has no intentions of stepping back into rotation and will push for a move away if incoming manager Antonio Conte does not hold him in his first team plans.
“I have one more season with Chelsea but I know when this season ends, we will definitely sit down and try to sort out whatever needs to be sorted out," he is quoted as saying by The Daily Mirror.
“If it means me leaving, fine. If it means me staying, then I have to play because one thing I don’t want to do is to sit on the bench like I did before. It’s not very nice, especially now when you have kids you just want to do what you can play.
“Wherever it is I just want to play. When this season ends we will definitely sort out the contracts. Legacy is important and I’m very proud and happy that I’ve kept this legacy to be able to achieve what I achieved.”
Of players to have made at least 15 league appearances for Chelsea in the Premier League since August 2012, only John Terry (89.8%) has a better pass success rate than Mikel (89.5%).
For more stats on John Obi Mikel, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
