Former Super Eagles captain, John Obi Mikel, has revealed how a Premier League regulation stopped Manchester United from completing his signing despite having a pre-contract agreement in place.
Mikel had been expected to join the Red Devils after turning 18, but the move failed to materialise due to a league rule requiring foreign players to have featured in at least 75 per cent of their country’s senior national team matches.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the former Chelsea midfielder said then-manager Sir Alex Ferguson was fully committed to bringing him to Old Trafford.
“Fergie loved me. He would always pair me with Roy Keane because he thought Keane would protect me from the likes of Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt, who were always tackling people in training,” Mikel said.
He explained that the Premier League rule ultimately blocked the transfer.
“At the time, the rule required players to have represented their national team in at least 75 per cent of matches before being eligible to sign,” he stated.
Mikel added that United explored alternative strategies to secure his services before his 18th birthday, but those plans failed.
“The strategy was to get me in and out before I turned 18, but that wasn’t possible in my case,” he explained.
The midfielder eventually joined Chelsea in 2006 at the age of 19, where he went on to enjoy a highly successful spell at Stamford Bridge. During nearly 11 years with the Blues, Mikel made 372 appearances and scored six goals, becoming one of the club’s most dependable midfielders.
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