John Obi Mikel is confident that his former team Chelsea will be Premier League title contenders next season, Afrosport reports.
The Blues had a strong start to the current campaign under head coach Enzo Maresca and were tipped as potential title contenders.
Their form however dipped towards the end of 2024 and into the new year and has now seen them slip 21 points behind leaders Liverpool.
They occupy fourth spot, one point ahead of Manchester City and two ahead of EFL Cup champions Newcastle United as well as Brighton & Hove Albion.
Mikel believes despite the poor run of results, things are progressing under Maresca.
“It is going well. I think I like Maresca. I have said it before, I think he’s a great manager. I think he’s a manager that improved the squad from where he took over,” the former Super Eagles captain told Sky Sports.
“I think the way the team play now, you can see there is a bit of an identity, the way we want to play, the way the Chelsea fans wants the team to play but I think finishing the top four is where everybody is going to judge him at the moment.
“After this season, if we finish in the top four, i think next season we can start competing for the league.”
Mikel played 372 times for Chelsea between 2006 and 2017, winning 11 titles including two Premier Leagues, four FA Cups, the UEFA Champions League and Europa League.
