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FourFourTwo
FourFourTwo
Sport
Joe Mewis

‘It was just Sir Alex and me in a room. It was difficult to say no to the greatest manager of all time, to his face’ Why a teenage John Obi Mikel turned down Manchester United

John Obi Mikel Manchester United Chelsea Alex Ferguson Fergie EPL FourFourTwo
Sir Alex Ferguson looks on during a Manchester United game against Charlton Athletic in May 2003.

Almost two decades on, John Obi Mikel’s 2006 move to Chelsea remains one of the most controversial and protracted transfer deals in Premier League history.

As a teenager, the Nigerian midfielder had been tagged as one to watch, with his performances at the 2003 Under-17 World Championship alerting Europe’s biggest clubs to his talents. After moving to Europe with Norwegian side Lyn Oslo, the Premier League came calling.

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