Former Super Eagles captain, John Mikel Obi is for a second missionary journey in the English Championship, Bestchoicesports.com.ng can report.

Stoke City are closing on agreement over a one-year deal for the former Chelsea midfielder.

The 2013 African Cup of Nations winner, 33, is a free agent having left Turkish side Trabzonspor by mutual consent in March.

Stoke have been in talks with Mikel for a couple of weeks and agreed terms with another free agent Steven Fletcher last week.

Mikel made 249 Premier League appearances for Chelsea in an 11-year spell, which ended when he left Stamford Bridge in 2017.

He won the Champions League and Europa League, two Premier Leagues, three FA Cups and the League Cup with the London side.

Mikel has not played in England since a six-month spell at Tony Pulis’ Middlesbrough in 2019, where he scored one goal in 19 appearances in all competitions.

He also had a two-year spell at Chinese Super League side Tianjin Teda, before joining the Riverside Stadium.

The 33-year-old would help Michael O’Neill’s side with their promotion plans after two disappointing seasons in the second tier.

The Potters were relegated from the Premier League in 2018 and finished in the bottom-half of the Championship in each of the last two seasons.

Stoke sacked managers Garry Rowett and Nathan Jones in those Championship campaigns, with former Northern Ireland coach O’Neill saving them from relegation to League One with just one game to spare earlier this summer.

The former Chelsea midfielder will have his medical at the start of the week and will sign a one-year-deal with the Potters.

The 33-year-old has had detailed talks with manager Michael O’Neil and is prepared to help the club push for promotion to the Premier League next season.