He loved me - John Obi Mikel reveals what blocked Manchester United move

Former Nigeria captain John Obi Mikel has revealed the key reason why his much-publicised move to Manchester United collapsed, despite having agreed to a pre-contract deal with the club.

The retired midfielder was widely expected to join the Red Devils once he turned 18, but the transfer never materialised, eventually leading to his switch to Chelsea instead.

Speaking in a recent interview with Sky Sports, Mikel explained that a Premier League work permit regulation at the time ultimately derailed United’s plans.

The rule required non-EU players to have featured in at least 75 per cent of their senior national team’s competitive matches to qualify for a work permit.

“At the time, the rule required players to have represented their national team in at least 75% of matches before being eligible to sign,” Mikel explained.

Mikel also recalled how eager legendary United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was to bring him to Old Trafford. According to the former midfielder, Ferguson had already begun integrating him into training sessions alongside senior stars.

“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.

Manchester United’s strategy at the time often involved securing young talent early, but Mikel said that approach could not be applied in his case.

“The strategy was to get me in and out before I turned 18, but that wasn’t possible in my case,” he added.