Mikel has repeatedly been linked with a move away from Chelsea especially with the latest arrival of French international, N’Golo Kante, but Conte believes the Nigerian midfielder is still needed by the Blues.
Mikel faces a tough fight for playing time ahead of the coming season with the £30m arrival of Kante as well as the presence of Nemanja Matic in the squad.
“I want to say Kante was a target and for this reason I’m very happy the club bought the player,” Conte told the Chelsea website after the 2-0 pre-season defeat at Rapid Vienna. He’s a good player.
“He has good technique, fantastic stamina and I like this type of player. If you want to win, a team needs this type of player – Kante, Matic and Mikel – that work hard for the team.”
Already Mikel has been linked with possible summer moves to Turkish champions, Besiktas, and Italian giants, Inter Milan.
It’s yet to be seen if Mikel, who has played 372 games for Chelsea since making his debut in 2006, will stay on this season under another manager.
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