Chelsea's Mikel joins China gold rush with move to Tianjin

2016 Rio Olympics - Soccer - Victory Ceremony - Men's Football Tournament Victory Ceremony - Mineirao - Belo Horizonte, Brazil - 20/08/2016. John Obi Mikel (NGR) of Nigeria celebrates winning bronze medal. REUTERS/Mariana Bazo/Files

Nigeria midfielder John Obi Mikel has become the latest big name player to join the Chinese Super League gold rush after leaving Chelsea for Tianjin Teda.

Mikel had a medical in the port city some 130 kilometres from Beijing on Thursday and the Asian Football Confederation confirmed the deal on Friday.

The 29-year-old, who spent more than a decade at Stamford Bridge, was given a free transfer by the London club and will earn 140,000 pounds ($173,432) a week in China, according to local media reports.

Serbia midfielder Nemanja Gudelj moved to Tianjin from Dutch club Ajax on Thursday and Mikel joins former English Premier League standouts Oscar and Carlos Tevez in moving to China over the last week.