FLASHBACK: 'Hands off Obi' - What Man United told Chelsea amid struggle to sign Mike Obi in 2003

The controversial signing of Mikel Obi by Chelsea in 2005 dominated news headlines.

According to multiple reports, the young midfielder had signed a pre-contract with Manchester United before he was scooped by Chelsea.

Before joining Jose Mourinho's Chelsea, David Gill, the Chief Executive Officer of Manchester United at the time warned Chelsea to `hands off John Obi Mikel' insisting that the club had the requisite document to win the controversial battle over the teenage wonderkid.

Having presented the Nigerian midfielder at a press conference in Norway to announce a four-year Old Trafford deal that could be worth around 4 million euros on April 29, the story took on ever-increasing twists with a posse of agents angry that Mikel had signed for the Reds.

The youngster received death threats and was put under guard in a hotel by his club Lyn Oslo.

According to rife reports, Mikel allegedly claimed he didn't want to play for United anymore and turned up in London with two agents where he was said to be meeting with Chelsea.

United had sent the director of youth football, Jim Ryan out to Oslo to help the player and sort out the trouble but he was unable to contact him.

Mikel's flight to England forced Sir Alex Ferguson to abandon his plans to fly to Oslo to help Ryan with the saga.