Mikel's agent says he's going nowhere

There's been plenty of talk about the status of John Obi Mikel this summer. The midfielder isn't exactly beloved amongst Chelsea supporters, many of whom were happy to see him linked with moves away to clubs like Galatasaray. It was difficult to see Mikel as surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge -- his skillset isn't really replicated anywhere else at the club -- but the rumours have persisted regardless. Now his agent's speaking up:

[Mikel] loves this club, the manager knows him and likes him and he will not be going anywhere during this transfer window. Some clubs came in and expressed their interest but that is where it stopped. They were never allowed to get to the point where we could even begin to start talking about valuation or negotiation.

John Shittu. Source: Kickoff Nigeria.

That's probably the end of that. I know there's been some question about how well Mikel fits into the current team, and that's been exacerbated by his lack of playing time so far this season, but he's really not going anywhere. Like the rest of his Confederations Cup-playing teammates save the young and sprightly Oscar, he's been well and truly screwed up by his participation in the tournament, and it'll take him a while to build up his fitness and re-integrate with the team.

After the upcoming international break, I'd expect to see far more of Mikel. Jose Mourinho's been using Ramires as a holding player with some success, but I think everyone would rather see the real thing against stronger teams.