After a transfer tussle between Chelsea and Man United over a young Nigerian footballer John Mikel Obi back in 2006, the teenager at the centre of the transfer, Mikel finally pitched his tent with Chelsea under former manager Jose Mourinho.
The former 2005 World Youth Championship star who won Sliver with Nigeria at the tournament on Holland spent the last ten years of his career at Stamford Bridge under different managers. From Mourinho to Avram Grant, Felipe Scolari, Guus Hiddink, Carlo Ancelotti, Andre Villa-Boaz, Roberto Di Matteo, Rafa Benitez to mention but a few.
He has been linked away from the club a few times times but it has always ended with the former Lyn Oslo player remaining at Chelsea.
However, the 29-year-old brought down the curtain on his 10-years relationship with the Blues and in the Premier League and joined Chinese Super League side Tianjin Teda.
The CSL are making frantic efforts to match top European leagues and are offering outrageous contracts to lure players to the Asian country.
Mikel Obi found himself stiffled out of the team since the arrival of Antonio Conte who seems contented with the services of summer arrival N’Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic as well as Cesc Fabregas.
The Super Eagles captain did not feature for Chelsea this season prior to his switch to CSL. He played 372 times for the London club and scored 6 goals. He won the Premier League title twice, four FA Cups and the Champions League in 2012.
He became the second Chelsea player to move to China in recent weeks after Brazilian midfielder Oscar.
He signed a four-year-deal and will reportedly earn £140,000 a week at Tianjin TEDA.