Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has voiced strong criticism against the club’s ownership for their decision to put Conor Gallagher and Trevoh Chalobah up for sale this summer.
Mikel, who enjoyed a successful stint with the Blues, expressed his displeasure on his podcast, The Obi One Podcast, labeling the move as a significant mistake.
The former Super Eagles captain described the sale of the two young players as “bad business,” arguing that both Gallagher and Chalobah are integral to the club and should not be offloaded.
Mikel’s comments come after reports from talkSPORT that the two players have been excluded from first-team training under the management of Enzo Maresca.
Chelsea’s management is reportedly eager to offload Chalobah, while Gallagher was on the verge of a transfer to Atletico Madrid. Gallagher even flew to Spain to finalize the deal before it fell through.
“Of course, two young boys that bleed blue,” Mikel said, highlighting the deep connection both players have with the club, having risen through Chelsea’s ranks from a young age.
He continued, “Now, we have to sell them to balance the books.”
Mikel criticized the club’s current owners, suggesting that their spending habits have led to a situation where they are forced to sell promising talent to manage finances.
“The owners are just spending way too much money, buying everybody with a price tag,” Mikel remarked.
He emphasized that Gallagher was one of the best players for Chelsea last season, second only to Cole Palmer, and should remain at the club.
He also praised Chalobah for his performance post-injury, stressing that both players are valuable assets to the team.
Concluding his thoughts, Mikel reiterated his stance, stating, “I just think it’s bad business from the owners. Absolutely bad business. Now, we’ve lost two fantastic players.”