‘This agent had a briefcase full of cash sitting right next to him, about £50,000. I was only 16, and all of these crazy things had already started happening’ John Obi Mikel on the surreal race for his signature

John Obi Mikel’s 2006 move to Chelsea from Norwegian side Lyn Olso was one of the most controversial moves of that era.

Touted as one of the most promising teenagers in world football, the Nigerian was photographed in a Manchester United shirt in 2005, only for an almighty legal tussle to pan out between the Red Devils and their Premier League rivals Chelsea.

Before the teenager could arrive at Old Trafford, Chelsea claimed that they had previously struck an agreement with the player and his representatives. After a host of twists and turns which lasted for a year, Mikel would join the Blues for £16 million, in a move which saw £4million go to Lyn Olso and the rest to the Red Devils.

John Obi Mikel opens up on his complicated transfer

So what really happened during this year-long saga? The player himself picks up the story: “I was 16 years old, and the 2003 Under-17s World Championship was my showcase, my time to announce myself to the world,” Mikel tells FourFourTwo.

“Because I had an amazing tournament, the whispers started. Everybody started to know about this wonderkid called Mikel – all the agents and all the clubs started looking for me. One agent showed up inside our team hotel and was asking everyone: 'Where is this kid?'”

“The Nigerian FA had already told the security at the hotel: 'If anyone asks where he is, tell them that you don’t know, don’t tell them his room number.' This agent had a briefcase full of cash sitting right next to him, about £50,000, saying: “Listen, I think a big Dutch club want you to go there, so sign for them and sign for me.” I was only 16, and all of these crazy things had already started happening.

“During that period, I was an attacking midfield player, a creative player, rather than the defensive midfielder I later became. I’m not blowing my own trumpet, but I knew I was really good and that I’d eventually sign for one of the big teams. Arsenal, Bayern Munich – a lot of teams were after me.”

Manchester United, then managed by Sir Alex Ferguson, were one of these big teams and Mikel got as far as training with the squad.

“Very soon, I was invited to Manchester United,” Mikel continues. “I met Sir Alex Ferguson, and stayed there and trained for a month or two. I’d always train with the first team, never with the academy, which is what I should have been doing, but I was too good!

“I trained with Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Diego Forlan, Gary Neville and Rio Ferdinand. Sometimes, I just watched them and the way they trained – just unbelievable. Paul Scholes would ping the ball right, left and centre – he was absolute quality. I could have watched him all day. What a player.

“When I trained with them, Sir Alex would always put me in the same team as Roy Keane, so I had somebody to protect me! As you know, Paul Scholes was the worst tackler; he’d come in and ‘Boom!’. Then Keano would go in and give him one to protect me! It was fun. I enjoyed my time there.”

Mikel was speaking to FFT in association with streaming platform DAZN