Middlesbrough midfielder John Obi Mikel says he is keeping his options open regarding his future at the club.

The Nigerian’s contract expires in the summer, and when asked about his plans, the former Chelsea player said he is just enjoying his time on Teesside:

“I want to enjoy my football and enjoy winning games with this club, these players are an amazing group of guys.

“Every time we win a game you see that feeling of wanting to be in the Premier League and that is something I want to keep enjoying with them until the end of the season. And then we see where we are.”

Mikel joined on a six-month deal from Chinese Super League side Tianjin Teda back in January and has been a regular for Tony Pulis’s team since his arrival at the club.

The 31-year-old has played all six of Boro’s league games since the beginning of February, having only missed the FA Cup fourth-round replay defeat to Newport County.

Mikel reportedly rejected five other clubs to make the move to the Riverside stadium. Premier League side Crystal Palace, Italian club Roma, Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg as well as Aston Villa and Derby were all said to be in the mix.

However, the midfield enforcer was keen to return to England and he seems to be enjoying Middlesbrough’s battle for promotion.