Chelsea lining up Inter Milan midfielder as replacement for Mikel

Chelsea lining up Inter Milan midfielder as replacement for Chelsea will swoop for Inter Milan midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia - if John Obi Mikel leaves the club in January. 

Mikel has just over six months to run on his current contract at Stamford Bridge and is said to be keen on a new challenge. 

And that could happen in January with the Nigerian's national team coach, Gernot Rohr, revealing the 29-year-old is in talks with Marseille. 

If Mikel was to complete a move to the French club in January it would leave Chelsea a man down in the midfield department. 

As a result, Blues boss Antonio Conte is drawing up a list of potential targets and, according to TMW, Kondogbia is at the top of it. 

The France international has endured a mixed season at the San Siro after falling out with the previous Inter boss Frank de Boer. 

The midfielder's relations with the Italian club have improved since Stefano Pioli took over, but the prospect of a move to Premier League leaders Chelsea could be too hard to turn down.