lsgworldl
05-12-2005, 03:35 PM
Sir Alex Ferguson has decided not to fly to Norway to talk with John Mikel Obi after the midfielder's club admitted he had gone missing.
Manchester United thought they had snatched the 18-year-old Nigerian from Chelsea's grasp when they announced his signing almost a fortnight ago.
But Lyn Olso information director Joachim Andersen told BBC Sport: "We do not know where John is.
"We have people looking for him to establish where he is."
Andersen added: "I don't know exactly who he is with but we suspect he is with agent John Shittu, who is the last person he was seen with."
The club's chief executive Morgan Andersen told Sky Sports website: "He has been taken away by agents who told us they were working for Chelsea, but Chelsea have not confirmed this.
"We have always got on well with Chelsea. They made us an offer for John, but it was way off the mark and they only wanted to use middle men all the time.
There is nothing else in the Norwegian press - it is mayhem
Lyn Olso information director Joachim Andersen
"John wasn't happy with all the agents becoming involved and so we managed to cancel all the arrangements before he signed for Manchester United."
However, Obi has now apparently said he wants to join Chelsea in preference to United.
The midfielder was last seen leaving a Lyn Oslo cup match on Wednesday and failed to turn up for training on Thursday.
The Norwegian league season runs from April to October and the midfielder had made an impressive start to the campaign.
"John played in all our pre-season matches and started the campaign brilliantly," added Joachim Andersen.
"He has been one of our best players both on and off the pitch. We are a surprised about the chain of events happening now."
And Andersen said the story was the biggest news item in Norway at the moment.
"There is virtually nothing about anything else in the Norwegian press," he revealed.
"It is on the front of every paper, there are extra editions, it is mayhem over here."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/4540261.stm
Manchester United thought they had snatched the 18-year-old Nigerian from Chelsea's grasp when they announced his signing almost a fortnight ago.
But Lyn Olso information director Joachim Andersen told BBC Sport: "We do not know where John is.
"We have people looking for him to establish where he is."
Andersen added: "I don't know exactly who he is with but we suspect he is with agent John Shittu, who is the last person he was seen with."
The club's chief executive Morgan Andersen told Sky Sports website: "He has been taken away by agents who told us they were working for Chelsea, but Chelsea have not confirmed this.
"We have always got on well with Chelsea. They made us an offer for John, but it was way off the mark and they only wanted to use middle men all the time.
There is nothing else in the Norwegian press - it is mayhem
Lyn Olso information director Joachim Andersen
"John wasn't happy with all the agents becoming involved and so we managed to cancel all the arrangements before he signed for Manchester United."
However, Obi has now apparently said he wants to join Chelsea in preference to United.
The midfielder was last seen leaving a Lyn Oslo cup match on Wednesday and failed to turn up for training on Thursday.
The Norwegian league season runs from April to October and the midfielder had made an impressive start to the campaign.
"John played in all our pre-season matches and started the campaign brilliantly," added Joachim Andersen.
"He has been one of our best players both on and off the pitch. We are a surprised about the chain of events happening now."
And Andersen said the story was the biggest news item in Norway at the moment.
"There is virtually nothing about anything else in the Norwegian press," he revealed.
"It is on the front of every paper, there are extra editions, it is mayhem over here."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/4540261.stm