Michael Essien has not managed to impress since returning from Spain. The 31 year old midfielder who has been with Chelsea since 2005 spent his last season playing for Real and hoped for a permanent transfer. His decision to leave London was not that big of a surprise considering he has only made 9 appearances since the season began.

The Ghana international reached an agreement with Italian side, AC Milan who offered him an 18 month contract. Essien left the Blues on the best of terms according to ESPN. Mourinho is one of the midfielders’ biggest fans and has nothing but respect for his former player. Because of that, there was no problem for the clubs to reach an agreement.

Chelsea’s boss issued a statement on Friday according to which the decision to leave or stay was entirely up to Essien. The Ghanaian who was one of the best midfielders of his generation chose to part ways with the Blues mostly because of their new found policy which gives a lot more credit to young players.

The 31 year old still has a lot to offer and sitting on the bench was not part of his future plans. Milan will surely give him more chances if you consider the fact that Serie A teams usually favor experience over youth. The Italian side also offered Essien a better contract in terms of length. Chelsea despite having no problem extending his deal would have never given him an agreement exceeding one year according to their new rule regarding players over the age of 30.