It has emerged that John Mikel Obi, accepted an offer from Besiktas to leave Chelsea this summer, but the transfer was blocked at the last minute.
The Nigerian international is not Jose Mourinho’s first choice at Stamford Bridge and was eager to leave the Premier League in a £3.5million deal.
“Mikel called us on the last day to say he accepted our offer but we had to weigh up Veli Kavlak returning in one-and-a-half months, with paying out £3.5 million for Mikel, so we pulled out of the deal,” Besiktas president, Fikret Orman, was quoted as saying by Radyospor.
Orman’s statement contradicts football agent, Mesrin Izzet’s claim, that it was Mourinho who pulled the plug on the deal.
“Besiktas had initially agreed terms with Chelsea and Mikel Obi but Jose Mourinho blocked the deal at the last minute,” Izzet told Radyospor.
He however accepted that the midfielder could still leave in the January window, in pursuit of regular football.
“Mikel could join Besiktas in January; in-fact, it would not be a surprise as he wants to play in Turkey and wants first team football,” he added.
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