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John Obi Mikel had apparently said some incendiary things about wanting to leave Chelsea for Galatasaray earlier today. The veracity of said quotes was always a little dubious, and now the club has taken steps to clear things up: They're fake.
#cfc say quotes attributed to Mikel claiming he will join Galatasaray are not his. Club say he has "not spoken on this subject".
— James Olley (@JamesOlley) June 20, 2013
(Olley, for those unfamiliar with him, is Chief Football Correspondent for the London Evening Standard)
That is, unless those quotes are fake (quote inception!). Anyway, assuming they're true, it's not a huge surprise that the club would take steps here. The central midfield is already desperate enough for an upgrade without the only consistent defensive midfielder around taking off for Turkey, and although Mikel's not exactly popular with the supporters losing him early in the window with no obvious replacement in sight would be more than a little bit crazy.
Also, making up quotes? That's just weird.