Former Nigeria and Chelsea midfielder, John Mikel Obi, has said he would love to see Cristiano Ronaldo play for Chelsea during the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
Ronaldo, now 40, is nearing the end of his contract with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr. Although there are talks about him staying longer, FIFA President Gianni Infantino recently said he would like to see Ronaldo play in the Club World Cup.
Speaking to TalkSPORT, Mikel said:
“I’d like to, obviously, but there’s this ten-day transfer period just for the tournament where clubs can bring in one or two players. I think it might be Al Hilal if he goes, but it would be good for the fans to see Ronaldo and Messi again in one tournament.”
Mikel praised Ronaldo’s talent and said having him at Chelsea would be exciting:
“It’s amazing. Ronaldo is an amazing player, top goalscorer. It’ll be great to see him. Doing it at Chelsea? Yes. Of course, we need a number nine. He’s someone young players like Delap can learn from.”
However, Mikel repeated that he still wants Chelsea to sign Victor Osimhen, the Nigerian striker he’s backed for over a year.
“We need to get Osimhen, but I don’t think the club is going that way. We’ve signed Delap, and I hope he performs well and gives Jackson some competition. Then we’ll see how it goes from the Club World Cup into the Premier League and Champions League.”
The FIFA Club World Cup will be held in the USA from 14 June to 13 July. Ronaldo’s next big game is the UEFA Nations League final between Spain and Portugal on Sunday.
