JOHN OBI MIKEL turned down $70,000 (£53,000) in a suitcase when he was just 15-years-old.
The schoolboy was involved in one of the craziest transfer tussles in history when he was in the middle of a tug-of-war between Manchester United and Chelsea.
Scouts from Arsenal, Real Madrid and Barcelona were all paying a close eye on the youngster who had starred for Nigeria at the Under-17 World Cup.
Speaking exclusively to Sun Sport, the 30-year-old recalled the time when an agent tried to steal a march on his rivals by opening a suitcase crammed with cash in front of him.
He said: “I had agents promising me everything.
“One approached me in the hotel with a briefcase full of cash.
“I can’t remember what club he claimed to represent — but I do remember the briefcase.
“It was crammed with $70,000 and he offered me that to sign some contract before adding: ‘Sign here and you’ll get a lot more’.
“I was tempted. I’d never seen so much money but I told the Nigerian FA secretary who was looking after me.
“He told me to ignore this agent but promised I would join the best club. After the tournament I went home to my family and then saw the secretary again in Abuja.
“That’s when he told me: ‘You’re going to United. They want you and you’re leaving tomorrow’.
“My dad was so happy but mum was crying because I was moving abroad at such a young age.”
In bizarre circumstances, Mikel ended up signing for league rivals Chelsea when he became of the most decorated players in the club’s history.
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