Chelsea are reportedly planning on selling Mikel John Obi in January, with Marseille said to be interested in the midfielder, while Blues youngster Ruben Loftus-Cheek could leave Stamford Bridge on a loan deal.According to Le10Sport (h/t Talksport), Marseille manager Rudi Garcia is desperate to add to his midfield depth in January, and he has highlighted Mikel as his primary target. The 29-year-old is no longer in manager Antonio Conte's plans, opening the door for a January move.Mikel has been with the Blues since 2006 and has won plenty of silverware with the club, but his playing time has steadily decreased in recent years. He hasn't been a factor during the 2016-17 season so far, and rumours of an exit shouldn't come as a surprise.Per the report, Marseille will face competition from China, where clubs would be wiling to just about match his 3.4 million salary. Former team-mate Ramires is one of many players who have made the move to the Far East of late.While Mikel hasn't contributed much for the Blues this season, there are still plenty of reasons to believe he could be a success elsewhere.BBC Sport's John Bennett noted his fine performances for Nigeria during the international break:He also remains hungry and motivated, per Squawka News:Chelsea have been in fine form of late, and the midfield duo of N'Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic has played a large role in the club's good fortunes. The former in particular has been sensational, and he happens to play a role similar to Mikel's.Kante is unlikely to move to the bench anytime soon, and if the Nigerian wants to find regular football, he'll have to look elsewhere. Given his many years of service to the club, the Blues are unlikely to stop him if he asks for a move in January.Chelsea's strong midfield play could also lead to a temporary exit of Loftus-Cheek, one of the club's top young prospects. The 20-year-old saw plenty of minutes during pre-season, but Conte has barely used him in the Premier League.Loftus-Cheek did feature heavily in the EFL Cup, but following the club's exit from that tournament, his chances of getting another start are even slimmer. According to Simon Johnson of the London Evening Standard, the Blues are now contemplating a January loan deal to aid his development.Matt Law of the Daily Telegraph marked West Ham United as a potential suitor thanks to the relationship between Conte and Hammers boss Slaven Bilic:With Nathaniel Chalobah getting more chances under Conte, a loan would be in Loftus-Cheek's best interests. The youngster is a sensational talent for the Blues, frequently drawing comparisons to Manchester United's Paul Pogba for his raw physical strength and playing style.He has tremendous potential, but at this point in time, he's too physically developed to return to the academy and go up against players who can't deal with his strength. The best place for him to learn would be in the Premier League or Championship, against experienced veterans who have been around the block.A permanent deal seems unlikelyhe's too talented to give up on at this stagebut a loan deal should be the preferred way forward, unless Conte is worried about his midfield depth.
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