I was locked in a room with him — Mikel Obi on ex-Man Utd boss Sir Alex Ferguson

Mikel Obi finally took the time to clear the air about his encounter with former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, which took place during the height of his transfer saga between Chelsea and the Red Devils.

The former Nigeria captain had initially agreed to a pre-contract deal with Manchester United, but Chelsea's unexpected interest complicated the deal.

As the dispute between the two clubs escalated, FIFA eventually handed the matter over to the FA, prompting Ferguson to take matters into his own hands.

The ex-United boss requested a private meeting with Mikel, hoping to persuade him to honor his pre-agreement with the Red Devils.

In a recent interview, Mikel Obi narrated the meeting with the legendary boss.

"United didn't want to let me go. Chelsea were not going to back down, then Sir Alex Ferguson said, 'Listen, give me 30 minutes with the kid, alone, in a boardroom office. I can convince him to still come to Manchester United.' So he flew down to London. I was in a room with him, alone."

Mikel's agent was left waiting outside as Ferguson attempted to win him over.

"My agent was sitting outside. And he said, 'Whatever he says to you in that meeting, just nod your head and say, nope, nope, nope.'"

Mikel recalled the tense 20-minute conversation, during which Ferguson offered him more money and assurances that Manchester United needed him.

However, the then 18-year-old remained resolute, repeatedly saying "no" to Ferguson's proposals.

"He was just saying, 'What is the problem? Why don't you want to come to Manchester United? Is it more money? I will give you more money. I will make you one of the best players in the world. What do you need? What do you want?'

"I kept saying no and no to everything he said, and I could feel the tension and Fergie getting red in his face with anger."

In the end, Mikel's determination paid off, and he joined Chelsea in 2006 at the age of 19. Over the course of 11 seasons, he made 372 appearances, scored six goals, and won 11 trophies, including the Champions League and two Premier League titles.