I Snubbed Man Utd For Chelsea To Help Three Nigerian Players – Mikel Obi

However, the transfer was enmeshed in controversy, as he had initially signed for Manchester United.

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Mikel Obi then claimed he was forced to put pen to paper for the Red Devils. This led to a legal battle between Lyn Oslo, Man Utd, and Chelsea, while FIFA also intervened.

In the end, Mikel Obi eventually signed for Chelsea, who paid a compensation fee of £12m to Manchester United and £4m to Lyn.

John Mikel Obi

During that period, three of Mikel Obi’s teammates at the U-20 level, Chinedu Obasi, Emmanuel Sarki, and Ezekiel Bala were also undergoing trials at Stamford Bridge.

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Mikel Obi told The Athletic: “When I chose Chelsea, it wasn’t just my life that changed.

“There were four lives that changed. Why? Because if I didn’t, Chelsea might not have anything to do with my three friends. I was close to them. I knew their families.

“I didn’t just make the decision for myself. I thought about them, I thought about their families. This gave them more of a chance.”