Mikel Obi Forgiven by Sir Alex Ferguson After 19-Year Feud Over Transfer Saga

Former Super Eagles captain, Mikel Obi, has revealed that he has been forgiven by legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson after one of the most dramatic transfer sagas in football history. This reconciliation marks the end of a long-standing tension dating back to 2005, when Mikel was a highly-rated youngster at Norwegian side Lyn Oslo.

In 2005, Mikel was seemingly on his way to Manchester United, with the club even holding a press conference and picturing him in a United shirt. However, the move fell through after Chelsea intervened, and Mikel claimed he felt pressured into signing with United. “I signed a contract with Manchester United and I didn’t do that of my own free will,” Mikel told Sky Sports News in 2006. “I was put under a lot of pressure to do that. I was denied advice from my agent and people I trust and I didn’t get much time to think about that.”

He continued, “I did something I did not want to do. Because of the pressure from Mr Morgan (Andersen, Lyn’s sporting director) and a representative of United it became too much. I was pushed and I had nobody on my side so I had to do it. I was denied a chance to have a week to think about it and get some independent advice from people so the pressure was too much.”

Reports indicated that Ferguson was scheduled to fly to Norway for crisis talks but had to cancel his trip after learning that Mikel had gone missing from training and was believed to be heading to London for talks with Chelsea. Mikel eventually joined Chelsea and spent 11 successful years at Stamford Bridge, winning numerous trophies.

Years later, on his podcast, Mikel recounted his fear of facing Ferguson on the touchline when Chelsea played Manchester United. “When they eventually met each other, the retired Scottish manager had a dreadful look on his face,” Mikel revealed.

Nineteen years later, the retired footballer and Ferguson met on the night of the UEFA Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund at Wembley, where they shared a pleasant moment. Mikel posted a picture of himself with Ferguson on Instagram, captioned, “He has forgiven me.”

Reflecting on his career, Mikel recalled his rise to prominence after the 2005 Under-17 FIFA World Cup with Nigeria, where he was recognized as one of the best young football prospects in the world. During his tenure with Chelsea, Mikel won two Premier League titles, one UEFA Champions League trophy, one Europa League title, four FA Cups, two League Cups, and one Community Shield title.