John Obi Mikel claims Alejandro Garnacho needs to sort out one thing if he’s to succeed at Chelsea

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John Obi Mikel is a fan of new Chelsea signing Alejandro Garnacho but has shared where the youngster needs to improve.

Garnacho joined Chelsea from Manchester United in the summer transfer window, and Mikel could get to see him make his debut for the Blues when they take on Brentford this weekend.

Florent Malouda is an admirer of Garnacho, describing him as a player with “talent”, and Mikel is on the same page as his former teammate.

The winger was not called up for Argentina during the international break, so he should be fit and ready for Saturday’s west London derby.

• READ MORE: Why big Chelsea signing is already under pressure after just three games this season

John Obi Mikel a fan of Alejandro Garnacho’s directness but wants him to improve his end product

Garnacho’s biggest strength is arguably his dribbling. When ex-Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag spoke about Garnacho a couple of years ago, the Dutchman said it was was one of his skills and described him as being “fearless”.

Mikel has now commented on Garnacho’s directness, the reason why the former midfielder is such a huge fan of the 21-year-old. At the same time, though, he has urged him to work on his final ball in order to become a success in west London.

Speaking on The Obi One Podcast, he said: “I’ve always liked Garnacho. I thought, you know, the way he plays he’s always very, very direct when he has the ball. You know, sometimes I just think his final delivery is not that great. You know what I mean?

“So for me, he does everything right, but then when it comes to the final pass or final cross or finishing, he just needs to find a way to be able to sort that part of his game out. I think if he does that, he’s going to be a brilliant, brilliant player for us.”

Garnacho faces a battle to become a regular starter under Enzo Maresca. The Chelsea manager has Jamie Gittens for the left-wing position, while Pedro Neto can also play there.

John Obi Mikel makes Enzo Maresca and Alejandro Garnacho claim

Mikel has set Garnacho the challenge of improving his end product, but the retired Nigeria international is confident that he can do it while working under a coach like Maresca.

“If there’s one manager that’s going to get the best out of him, it’s Enzo Maresca because he knows how to coach and bring the best out of these young players,” Mikel said.

Before signing Garnacho, Chelsea showed interest in Malick Fofana, something the Lyon star himself confirmed.

However, with Garnacho already possessing Premier League experience and being familiar with the pressure that comes with playing for a top club, the Blues made the right decision picking him over Fofana.