Chelsea midfielder Mikel John Obi has admitted he will begin negotiations with clubs about a transfer away from the Blues in January if his current contract at the club is not renewed.
The 29-year-old has been at Chelsea for a decade, but is now in his final year at the club and, so far this season, has not played a game under new manager Antonio Conte after missing part of pre-season to represent Nigeria at the Rio Olympics.
Despite admitting Chelsea is his "home", Mikel has revealed he will begin looking at his options in January if it doesn't look likely he'll remain at Stamford Bridge past next summer.
"I have one year left [on my contract]," Mikel told Goal. "When you have a year left as a football player, you have to start planning and start thinking about what’s going to happen at the end of the season. Yes, there are going to be rumours, yes, there are going to be conversations between clubs.
"When you have a year left, in January, you are allowed to talk to other clubs and sign a pre-contract or have an agreement so, yes, I will talk to other clubs because you never know what is going to happen.
"I’ve been here for a long, long time. I’ve spent 11 years of my life in this football club, it is my home.
"This season is the last at the club if my contract ends. I am quite relaxed about it, the future looks good."
He added: "I am always open to a new conversation, a negotiation [with Chelsea]. But if there’s none, the future still looks bright. One day you have to move on. I think my memories here, my achievements here, are something that no one will ever take away from me.
"I have won everything there is to win with this football club. We were the first London club to win the Champions League, and forever I will be one of the first players to win the Champions League for Chelsea. Those memories will never go away."
