Mikel John Obi is a young Nigerian football player who currently features for the English Premier League side Chelsea. He is a central defense-minded midfielder.

John Obi Mikel developed at Ajax Cape Town and signed his professional contract with Norwegian club Lyn Oslo in 2005. He played for Oslo for the 2005-2006 season and was then involved in a very convoluted and controversial transfer fiasco. In April 2005 John Obi Mikel signed a contract with Manchester United but in May of the same year he along with his agent John Shittu decided to sign a contract with Chelsea. They complained that Man United has pressurized him into signing the contract and the case reached the courts of FIFA. In the end Chelsea decided to pay Man United 12 million euros and Lyn Oslo 4 million euros.

John Obi Mikel made his Chelsea debut in the 2006-2007 season and quickly impressed everyone around him. However he was not used regularly but he was always at his best or nearabout in the matches that he got to play. John Obi Mikel was given more chances in the 2007-2008 season.

John Obi Mikel made his international debut for Nigeria in 2005 and has played 19 matches so far, scoring twice.