Mikel to Inter

[lildane]

news making rounds all over nigeria is that jose is making mikel and david villa his main targets for this summer....... I think it will be a mistake if we sold him and i think we are underutilising that boy, imagine he was in arsenal....Do you know the kind of role he would be playing in that team.

Anyways, reliable sources say mourinho is bidding 35million euros for him and chelsea and Guus hiddink are interested in doing business, and his agent John sh*ttu is being tightlipped about the story, saying he respects chelsea and would not speak about their player right now and said mikel is not signing new contract now.

[Modueke]

So Jose is confirmed staying at Inter then?

[Gem]

Surely Hiddink doesn't give a rats what happens after May?

[evissy]

Surely Hiddink doesn't give a rats what happens after May?

Roman still pays his wages so I think he will. Plus I think Guus is more than happy to help us. He's truly been enjoying his time with us.

[Liam]

Do you know the kind of role he would be playing in that team.

No. Enlighten me.

mourinho is bidding 35million euros for him

We should bite their hands off at that fee.

[g3.7]

think he found himself in a bit of a rut in the last couple months under scolari, but was great home and away against juve and there are few better midfield players his age in europe.

an important player to keep IMO.

[blizeH]

Surely Hiddink doesn't give a rats what happens after May?

Of course he will, he'll still be attached to the club, the players, and Roman, even if he leaves.

But anyway, €35m for Mikel? Christ.

Isn't his contract up soon though?

[bluevale2]

Snap their hands off. He's a decent player but gives both the ball and silly fouls away far too easily. (IMO)

[mad_mac]

Tough call, 35 million for him would be astonishing, but I think we will lose ballack so I'd rather keep a midfield 3 of Essien, Lampard and Mikel. They know each other and play well together, so it is tough to decide.

Scott

[Tim]

I do agree we should keep him, but for me, a midfield 3 with Mikel and Essien as two of the players won't work, and dropping Michael can't be an option..

[bjd]

Snap their hands off. He's a decent player but gives both the ball and silly fouls away far too easily. (IMO)

Agree with this. Id let him go for half the silly fee that is being reported here. A quarter even.

He is pointless against the weaker teams and always found out against someone decent (Gerrard and Totti spring to mind)

[g3.7]

Agree with this. Id let him go for half the silly fee that is being reported here. A quarter even.

He is pointless against the weaker teams and always found out against someone decent (Gerrard and Totti spring to mind)

he is right now (and the worst part was totti was totally unfit at the time and he was supposedly in form), but remember that that might not be his best position in the future, and at this stage of his career maka was neither as good nor playing in that position.

[TheWestwayWonder]

Ahh, John sh*ttu, how I have missed that guy

I do agree we should keep him, but for me, a midfield 3 with Mikel and Essien as two of the players won't work, and dropping Michael can't be an option..

This, and the fact that Mikel is a supposedly a "converted" midfielder, is why I would consider doing business.

I know Villa has said he doesnt want to leave La Liga, but Inter are going up against Man City if he is going, and there is only going to be one result

[Nibs]

How quickly things change in football. It wasn't that long ago that Mikel was being touted as our player of the season and yet now he's almost the forgotten man. It's hard to see him getting back in the side all the time Lamps, Essien and Ballack are playing so well.

35m Euros would be a decent fee for Mikel and I would take it without any hesitation whatsoever.

[c3blu]

I dont think we should let him go anywhere. He has had a much better season than last and is still very young. You dont sell your best young players, its as simple as that.

I remember people saying letting Diara go to Arsenal was good business because he was'nt in our team at the time. 2 seasons later he goes to Real for 10 times what we let him leave for.

I also dont agree that Mikel and Essien cant play in the same midfield, the game against Arsenal changed when Hiddink swapped Essein with Ballack, Ballack played the holding role which released Essein to drive on from midfield. Ballack is'nt getting any younger and we know mikel can play the holding role, plus at his age has plenty of time to continue to improve.

[BLUENUT]

I dont think we should let him go anywhere. He has had a much better season than last and is still very young. You dont sell your best young players, its as simple as that.

I remember people saying letting Diara go to Arsenal was good business because he was'nt in our team at the time. 2 seasons later he goes to Real for 10 times what we let him leave for.

I also dont agree that Mikel and Essien cant play in the same midfield, the game against Arsenal changed when Hiddink swapped Essein with Ballack, Ballack played the holding role which released Essein to drive on from midfield. Ballack is'nt getting any younger and we know mikel can play the holding role, plus at his age has plenty of time to continue to improve.

spot on

[evissy]

I have a great idea. Lets sell the following players: Kalou, Mikel, DiSanto, Ivanovic, Mancienne and Stoch.

What is the point having them if we are not going to use them that much.

Next move would be to hand contract extensions to: Ballack, Mineiro and Deco. We could try to lure Sheva back with the money gained from the deals, maybe try to get Henry and Guddy from Barca.

:lol:

I think Mikel is instrumental for us in the future. He has already shown how classy he is and why we fought so hard over him. He was very good under Scolari but now that Essien is back we have found him useless. Shame really but tells how much quality we have in our midfield.

It is true that in many games this season Mikel should have been in more advanced role but he just did what the coach told him and in very good discipline. Mikel has truly matured from the days he started with us.

[Nibs]

I have a great idea. Lets sell the following players: Kalou, Mikel, DiSanto, Ivanovic, Mancienne and Stoch.

What is the point having them if we are not going to use them that much.

Next move would be to hand contract extensions to: Ballack, Mineiro and Deco. We could try to lure Sheva back with the money gained from the deals, maybe try to get Henry and Guddy from Barca.

That's a silly arguement - no-one is saying that (well perhaps with the exception of Kalou).

Although I take it with a pinch if salt, 35m Euros equates to about £31M. That is a heck of a lot of money for a player who doesn't create a great deal, never looks like scoring and is not one of the best defensive midfielders around either. Don't get me wrong, I think Mikel is a good player to have in the squad, but if someone is willing to pay that sort of money, we should bite their hand off and use it where the squad needs strengthening.

[sexelk]

I dont think we should let him go anywhere. He has had a much better season than last and is still very young. You dont sell your best young players, its as simple as that.

I remember people saying letting Diara go to Arsenal was good business because he was'nt in our team at the time. 2 seasons later he goes to Real for 10 times what we let him leave for.

I also dont agree that Mikel and Essien cant play in the same midfield, the game against Arsenal changed when Hiddink swapped Essein with Ballack, Ballack played the holding role which released Essein to drive on from midfield. Ballack is'nt getting any younger and we know mikel can play the holding role, plus at his age has plenty of time to continue to improve.

that is something that you would see develop naturally between essien and mikel over time. mikel deserves the chance to play further up the field because he can be very creative on the ball when an opportunity presents itself. he can ride tackles too which makes him difficult to win the ball from. i hope for his and our sake he hasn't played himself into a dm or nothing role. he is much better than that

should be playing at the minute

[abramovich]

I seriously doubt any club will offer €35m for Mikel, this is the type of money being used to buy top quality strikers or world class midfielders, which he obviously isn't (not yet,anyway).

Mourinho may rate Mikel but Moratti is not a fool and Italian clubs are ridiculously tight with money.

Having said that, if they offered anywhere around that amount, I'd ship him out tomorrow.

[Money]

I wouldnt sell him - could be a great player for us.

But as most said, 35million is a joke and all I can say is bye bye! For 35 million could easily pick up another young midfielder to bring through. 35million for a holding midfieler is lovely jubliee!!!

[icecoolguy22]

Unless it is a huge offer, we should keep the guy. His performance over the season is no worse than Ballack, what he lacks is composure, and that is something a 20-22 year old rarely possess. With Ballack, Deco, Belleti near the end of the road, it's not like we have huge depth in the midfield. The 'Maka' role is not for Mikel, we should have kept Diarra or bought Mascherno if we wanted someone to be the new 'Maka'.

[Liam]

what he lacks is composure

I would have said his composure is his greatest asset.

[dkw]

I would have said his composure is his greatest asset.

as would i, for the majority of the time anyway. he does have brain explosions every so often but when hes on the ball hes very composed, sometimes overly. i would rather we keep him to be honest, hes still young and still growing into this new position and i do believe he will be a superb player for us in years to come.

[evissy]

That's a silly arguement - no-one is saying that (well perhaps with the exception of Kalou).

Although I take it with a pinch if salt, 35m Euros equates to about £31M. That is a heck of a lot of money for a player who doesn't create a great deal, never looks like scoring and is not one of the best defensive midfielders around either. Don't get me wrong, I think Mikel is a good player to have in the squad, but if someone is willing to pay that sort of money, we should bite their hand off and use it where the squad needs strengthening.

That was tongue in the cheek and pointed more towards Kenyon & co than to posters here.

35mill sounds very much for a player who isn't playing regularly and hasn't been very flashy(and never will be). But the truth is Mikel is still very young and he has performed like a world beater many occasions. Remember that Cup final against ManU two years back...He had brilliant games for us this season under LFS. I was about to nominate him our Player of the season if it wasn't for Hiddink and the pheonix rising for us. At the moment it is definetly Frank Lampard.