John Obi Mikel told Sky Sports News he felt pressured into signing for Man Utd.
John Obi Mikel has added another twist to his transfer saga by insisting that he was pressurised into signing for Manchester United.The Nigerian starlet was seemingly snapped up by United from Norwegian side Lyn Oslo last week, but the deal has now been shrouded in controversy.
The 18-year-old had been previously courted by Chelsea but Lyn said that United had been the keener side and swooped in to sign him.
However, Mikel then went missing from training in Norway and claims emerged that he wanted to sign for Chelsea and not The Red Devils.
Sir Alex Ferguson was due to fly to Norway for crisis talks only to cancel his trip as the teenager had disappeared, and thought to be heading to London for talks with Chelsea.
The talented young African has now told Sky Sports News that he feels he was pressurised into signing for United and does not think he had made his own decision.
"I signed a contract with Manchester United and I didn't do that of my own free will," Mikel exclusively told Sky Sports News.
"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.
"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."
United fear Mikel has been in London with his agents Jerome Anderson and John Shittu in order to try and engineer a move to Stamford Bridge, but he claims to have had no contact with The Blues.
"No, I haven't," replied Mikel when asked about any Chelsea contact, although he did not rule it out in the future.
"I came into London and I have been in my hotel with my agent and haven't seen anyone or talked to anyone from Chelsea.
"I have no contact with Chelsea for now."
United supremo David Gill has insisted that their deal for Mikel is watertight, but the African's latest comments have muddied the waters further in what is turning out to be a real transfer drama.
