A deal to take John Obi Mikel to Al Ain in the UAE is almost complete after he agreed personal terms on what is likely to be a lucrative deal. One can only hope that the deal for Chelsea is just as lucrative.
Asamoah Gyan Weighs In
Ghana captain, current Al Ain striker and everyone’s favourite money grabber Asamoah Gyan yesterday confirmed that the deal was almost complete.
“I heard it this week that he has agreed terms with Al Ain and will most definitely be playing for us next season.”
Gyan’s story is an interesting one. He left Sunderland, almost out of the blue, originally on a season long loan with Al Ain to make four times his salary by playing out in the Middle East.
He then went on to sign a five-year deal which would have seen him take home around 38 million by the time his contract was up. He’s since signed an ‘improved deal’.
It could be argued Gyan is giving Al Ain value for money, scoring 95 goals in 81 games and helping them win back to back titles. I’m not even going to attempt to analyse the quality of the UAE top flight.
Mikel’s Move to the Middle East
We leapt to Mikel’s defence recently, proving through our own statistical analysis that there is definitely a place for him at Chelsea.
His problem would always inevitably come back to game time, or so we thought. A player with ambition that wants to play as many games as possible in order to reach the highest level is admirable. One that has aspirations only for his bank account may arguably be considered otherwise.
When football becomes strictly about business, many are quick to criticise. What I do know is that Al Ain are unlikely to challenge Mikel in a footballing sense, almost an acknowledgement from the player that his trophy-laden days are effectively over – unless you consider the UAE Arabian Gulf League medal one to tell the grandchildren about.
Regardless, Mikel will make his way out to the Middle East and cash in. Another fascinating example of world football in a new, modern era.
