Mikel Obi Reveals Why Manchester United Failed To Sign Him At 16
Mikel Obi Reflects on Near Transfer to Manchester United
Former Chelsea and Nigeria midfielder John Obi Mikel has disclosed that strict eligibility regulations hindered his potential transfer to Manchester United during his teenage years.
In a recent interview with Sky Sports, Mikel recounted his experience as a 16-year-old on trial at Old Trafford, where he trained alongside the first team under manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Mikel noted that Ferguson recognized his talent and often paired him with veteran midfielder Roy Keane during training sessions.
“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 recalled.
Despite Ferguson’s interest, the transfer fell through due to a Premier League rule that required young African players to have represented their national teams in at least 75% of matches before qualifying for a contract. At the time, Mikel had not yet played for the Nigeria national team and thus did not meet this criterion.
He also highlighted age restrictions that prevented him from playing in the first team. “The strategy was to get me in and out before I turned 18,” Mikel explained, referencing the club’s intent to acquire young talent, “but that wasn’t possible in my case.”
