John Obi Mikel talks potential Egypt move, admits wrong Salah judgment

Former Nigeria midfielder John Obi Mikel says that he does not rule out playing in Egypt and that he was not expecting what Mohamed Salah has reached.

The 33-year-old is known for his spell at English side Chelsea, where he spent 11 years (2006-2017) and 91 caps for his national team. Mikel met the Egyptian King at the London club when he joined them in 2014.

However, Salah was not performing for the Blues and did not get a lot of playing time. He earned himself loan moves to Fiorentina and Roma before moving permanently to the Italian capital.

Following fruitful campaigns in Italy, he moved to Liverpool where he most notably collected two golden boots, a Champions League trophy, and a Club World Cup title.

When the Nigeria international was asked about a potential move to the Egyptian league, Mikel told ON Sports: “I never ruled anything out.”

On his aspirations, he added: “My goal is to continue playing football, and I hope I will have the opportunity, I do not reject any offers made to me, but rather study them well until I make the right decision.”

The midfielder went on to talk about former teammate Salah, saying: “When Salah came to Chelsea, he was a young boy, but he had a nice personality and everyone loved him, he was very disciplined.

“We were close friends, talking a lot and joking a lot, he was a good friend.”

“I believed in his development, but frankly I did not imagine that he would reach the quality that he has now,” he added.

The Nigerian left his club, Turkish side Trabzonspor in protest against the continuation of league football despite the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic.