The 34-year-old made 41 appearances in two seasons with Stoke and his deal had another 12 months left to run.

Mikel joined Stoke from Turkish side Trabzonspor, having previously spent 11 years with Chelsea.

Stoke boss Michael O'Neill said there was an agreement he could leave for a "significant overseas opportunity".

He added: "John is a fantastic professional and was a huge presence for us last season both on and off the field, particularly with the young players in our first-team squad."