By Wale Mustapha
Former Nigeria captain John Obi Mikel has advised Chelsea to strengthen three key positions in their squad if they hope to win the FIFA Club World Cup later this year.
The West London club is among the teams set to compete in the expanded edition of the global tournament, scheduled to take place in the United States. Chelsea earned qualification by winning the UEFA Europa Conference League and finishing in the Premier League’s top four last season.
While praising the club’s recent signings, including the acquisition of Liam Delap from Ipswich Town, Mikel believes more reinforcements are needed to compete at the highest level.
“I am excited by the business the club has done. But if we can go again and win the [FIFA] Club World Cup, they can bring in more money and spend,” Mikel said in an interview with Metro.
He specifically called for the addition of an experienced centre-back, a dynamic midfielder, and a creative winger.
“Bring in an experienced centre-back, another midfield player and another winger.
“Jadon Sancho is going back to Manchester United. If we can bring in another winger who can create chances and score goals, because that’s what we [Chelsea] need.”
Mikel, who won multiple trophies during his time at Chelsea, believes the right additions could give the Blues a realistic shot at lifting the Club World Cup for the second time in their history.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
