KEY PLAYER: Mikel helped Chelsea win the FA Cup and League Cup last season.

The Nigerian midfielder was at the centre of an ugly tug of war in 2006, with United, Chelsea and Norwegian club Lyn all insisting he was their player.

United claimed they signed Mikel from Lyn in April 2005 and loaned him back until the end of the season - only for Chelsea to indicate they had negotiated a separate agreement with the player's agent.

After a compromise was reached between the three clubs - Chelsea paid United £12 million (S$33 million) and Lyn £4 million in the summer of 2006 - Mikel claimed he had been forced into signing for United but had always been intent on moving to London.

Not so, said Lyn director Morgan Andersen, who is facing charges of forging a contract that indicated Lyn did have the rights to Mikel when the player was sold.

He has pleaded not guilty and has given graphic details of a meeting with the midfielder's agent, John Shittu, reported The Telegraph.

He said: 'It was like meeting the Sopranos. In the meeting, they behaved in a threatening way. We claimed that we had the rights to Mikel, but Shittu said we would regret the deal.

'We told them that we had the right to Mikel, but Chelsea's representatives didn't agree. Soon after, Shittu took him to the airport in Oslo. They went to London.

'Mikel was crying and we didn't see him for a long time after that.'

Mikel has since gone on to become a key player for Chelsea, helping them to win the FA Cup and League Cup last season.

Meanwhile, Wayne Bridge has told Chelsea he will quit if he fails to start the League Cup final against Tottenham on Feb 24 at Wembley.