John Obi Mikel has announced that his 10-year spell at Chelsea has come to an end as he prepares to continue his career in the lucrative Chinese Super League.
The 29-year-old midfielder follows in the footsteps of his former Chelsea teammate Oscar, who sealed a £60m switch to Shanghai SIPG last month.
On Twitter, Mikel, who has not made a single appearance for Chelsea under manager Antonio Conte this season, revealed that he will be joining Tianjin TEDA.
In an open letter to the "Chelsea family", Mikel said: "As you will know, I haven't featured as much this season as I would have liked, and at 29 I still have many years in the game ahead of me.
"With this in mind, I feel now is the time to seek a new challenge. I'm delighted to be joining Tianjin TEDA FC in China, at a time that the Chinese Super League is really taking off, and I look forward to helping Tianjin TEDA FC continue to grow both on and off the pitch in the next few years."
A letter to my Chelsea family. 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/FhcUyq3iaV
— Mikel John Obi (@mikel_john_obi) January 6, 2017
During his lengthy spell at Stamford Bridge, Mikel has won two Premier League titles, two League Cups, four FA Cups, the Europa League and the Champions League, making 164 appearances in the Premier League alone.
Mikel, who joined the West London outfit from Lyn in 2006, featured a further 208 times in cup competitions for the Blues, and has six goals to his name.
On their official website, Chelsea wrote: "He leaves with our very best wishes and we thank him for his exceptional service."
The midfielder made his first start for the club in a Champions League game against Levski Sofia on September 12, 2006.
Danielle Joynson
