Galatasaray sign Melo, which should end Mikel interest

One of the slow-burning stories of the summer has been Galatasaray's supposed attempt to lure John Obi Mikel to Istanbul, which was met with glee by the section of Chelsea support that thinks Mikel's not very good and utter bafflement by those who do. But there's been a fairly new development that should mean any desire to acquire the Nigerian Galatasaray might have possessed has gone away: The Turkish club have managed to secure Felipe Melo's signature on a permanent deal.

Melo's been on loan from Juventus for the past two seasons, but this is the first time that the two clubs have managed to work out anything permanent. If Galatasaray really were interested in Mikel, I have to imagine that it would have been as cover in case they couldn't have landed Melo, because the idea of playing them both in the same midfield sounds too painful to countenance. More importantly, the club is now falling afoul of the Turkish foreign player quota, so they'll need to do some juggling even without bringing a new player in.

So, it you're one of those brave few who wants Mikel out, you'll probably have to find another club to pin your hopes on. Sorry!