John Obi Mikel explains choosing Chelsea over Manchester United despite 'pre-contract' agreement and Sir Alex Ferguson talks
Published 27/05/2025 at 10:58 GMT+1
John Obi Mikel explained how he ended up signing for Chelsea, despite having agreed a "pre-contract" with Manchester United and engaging in one-on-one talks with Old Trafford great Sir Alex Ferguson. Mikel went on to spend nearly 11 years at Stamford Bridge, making 372 appearances for the club and winning two Premier League titles as well as a UEFA Champions League.
Mikel reveals reason why he turned down Man Utd - 'Fergie couldn't convince me'
Video credit: TNT Sports
John Obi Mikel detailed how he ended up signing for Chelsea, despite initially agreeing a "pre-contract" agreement with Manchester United and engaging in one-on-one talks with Sir Alex Ferguson.
Speaking on TNT Sports' What I Wore, the Nigerian recounted agreeing to a "pre-contract" with United in the wake of the 2003 Under-17 World Championship, only for Chelsea to swoop in.
Mikel, who would go on to represent The Blues for 11 years, explained: "My first trial was with Manchester United. After the Under-17 tournament, I went there for trials. And then United thought, ‘Spend two, three months with us, and then go back home, and come back. And when you become 18, you can sign a professional contract'.
"So I went back home and then Chelsea heard about the whole thing, that I was back home. And they sent an agent to Nigeria to come and get me to go to trials at Chelsea.
"I went to trials at Chelsea and they liked me and wanted me to sign. So they thought, ‘Okay, we’re not going to make the same mistake as United by sending you back home. We’re going to send you to Norway'.
"I played one game for Lyn Oslo. A couple of weeks after that, I turned 18. United went to find out where I was, and then they sent an agent to come to Oslo.
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"That’s when the contract came from United, Fergie and his agents. That’s when I signed the contract."
Mikel continued: "But of course, Chelsea had sent me to Norway and they said, ‘Why would you do that? We’ve been looking after you for about a year now’.
"So when they saw that [I’d signed for United] they refused to let it go and said they’d fight. FIFA couldn’t sort it out and get either team to back off, the English FA got involved and then I had a one-to-one meeting with Fergie.
"He said he wanted a meeting with me, alone without anybody for 30 minutes, and that he would be able to convince me to come to Manchester United. So I had the meeting, but he couldn't convince me and that’s how it was settled."
While United were historically the giants of English football, in 2006 a 19-year-old Mikel opted to join Chelsea, who had just marked their centenary season by winning the Premier League title for a second consecutive year.
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He explained: "When you look at both teams, you have a team that has already won everything, that’s made history, and you have a team, with a young manager that’s just come to the Premier League, Jose Mourinho, that wants to build something special at Chelsea; to create history at Chelsea.
"And when I look at both teams, I thought, why don’t I just go to Chelsea where I could be part of history. Because at United they had won everything anyway. And it turned out to be a great decision.
"And of course, who wouldn’t want to live in London over Manchester?"
The midfielder would go on to make 372 appearances for the club, netting six times and winning 11 trophies, including two Premier League titles and one UEFA Champions League.
Watch the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League on TNT Sports and discovery+
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