Manchester United's solicitors will today submit a comprehensive 40-page document to Fifa outlining their grievances against Chelsea in the protracted dispute over the signing of John Obi Mikel, the Nigerian teenager regarded by Alex Ferguson as one of the most naturally gifted footballers he has seen.
After three months of gathering evidence against the Premiership champions, United's lawyers will detail why they believe they have a watertight agreement with Mikel and the chain of events that, in the words of their assistant manager Carlos Queiroz, led to the 18-year-old being "almost kidnapped" and Chelsea taking "football into the jungle".
United declined to comment yesterday but the document is understood to include submissions from Ferguson, United's chief executive David Gill and the youth academy director Jim Ryan as well as a copy of the pre-contract agreement signed by Mikel in April when he agreed to join United from his Norwegian club Lyn Oslo. Chelsea had been convinced he had made a verbal agreement to sign a four-year contract at Stamford Bridge and, to the intense irritation of Ferguson, they have retained their interest in the player.
United's legal team at James Chapman and Co solicitors in Manchester, fronted by the club director Maurice Watkins, has also spoken at length to the Lyn Oslo directors and the agent who originally represented Mikel, Daniel Fletcher. He is taking his own case to Fifa after Mikel dropped him and became involved with a Nigerian agent, John Shittu, who is understood to work alongside the London-based dealmaker Jerome Anderson.
It is United's belief Shittu and Anderson are working on Chelsea's behalf and that Mikel would otherwise have no reservations about moving to Old Trafford. Ferguson and Ryan travelled to Oslo a fortnight ago to see the teenager and received assurances he wanted to fulfil his contract. However, in April Mikel reportedly received death threats from unknown sources after turning down Chelsea and, according to Fletcher, is "being intimidated and coerced into acting against his wishes".
A letter Fletcher sent to the Premier League and the Football Association in May called for an official inquiry similar to that which saw Chelsea receive record punishments for their clandestine talks with Arsenal's Ashley Cole.
United want Fifa to ratify that Mikel is their player and, at the very least, instruct Chelsea to back off. They hope to persuade Mikel to sever his ties with Shittu, who is facing a possible smuggling charge. A routine check at Oslo's Gardermoen airport on Tuesday found he had the equivalent of £22,109 in his possession - 10 times the amount allowed to be taken into Norway without being declared.
"He had £19,000 in an envelope as well as euros, Danish kroner and other currency," said Paul Ask, a customs official. "He has been reported to the police for smuggling."
