Championship promotion hopefuls WBA eye bringing Mikel to England next season

ENGLISH Championship side West Bromwich Albion (WBA) have joined the list of clubs looking to sign former Super Eagles skipper Mikel Obi on a free transfer ahead of next season as the club pursues promotion to the Premier League.

Currently sitting in second place in the league table behind leaders Leeds United, WBA are relatively confident of gaining promotion to the English Premier League at the end of the season. WBA already has Super Eagles centreback Semi Ajayi on its books but will be looking forward to having Mikel solidifying its midfield.

Mikel, 33, is currently a free agent after parting company with Turkish club Trabzonspor in March following a dispute over the coronavirus pandemic. In 2006, Mikel joined Chelsea where he played for 11 years before moving to China with Tianjin Teda in 2017.

After two years in China, he returned to England on a short-term deal with Middlesboro, before joining Trabzonspor on a free transfer in July 2019. During a 14-year international career between 2005 and 2019, Mikel played 88 times for Nigeria, scoring six goals.

West Brom are understood to be one of a number of clubs exploring the option of signing Mikel on a free transfer at the end of the season. Several other clubs across Europe are looking at Mikel, including newly promoted Italian side Benevento.

Over the years, WBA has featured several Nigerian players including Osaze Odemwingie, Nwankwo Kanu and Ifeanyi Udeze. Last season, Semi Ajayi joined the Baggies from Rotherham United and his great form with the club got him a Super Eagles call-up, leading to him now becoming a regular for coach Gernot Rohr.