Chelsea files: Real story behind murky deal to steal star from Man Utd and Blues keep tabs on Rogers contract talks

SUNSPORT’s insiders at the west London club bring you the latest ongoings from Stamford Bridge.

And there’s a lot to get through in this week’s instalment of – The Chelsea files.

Chelsea were this month hit with 74 charges in relation to suspicious transactions with agentsPA

CHELSEA FCThe Blues’ infamous signing of John Obi Mikel isn’t one of the deals under the microscope[/caption]

TAKING THE MIK

After the news about Chelsea’s 74 FA charges in relation to dodgy transactions with agents in transfers, it is worth recalling the scandal from which the Blues and weekend opponents Manchester United somehow walked away scot-free.

John Obi Mikel became a Stamford Bridge legend – but only after one of the most murky deals in football history.

Chelsea and United did their best to cover up the sequence of events that led to Mikel joining the Blues in 2006.

In June of that year, the two clubs signed an agreement which would see the Blues pay United £12m and Norwegian club Lyn Oslo £4m to make all the controversy go away.

A clause in the document read: “Each of the Parties undertakes and warrants to the others that they shall not take any step to encourage any Football Authority or other statutory or judicial authority to investigate Mikel or his playing registration.”

Unfortunately for United and Chelsea, Norwegian investigative journalists Lars Backe Madsen and Jens M Johansson got hold of that agreement and plenty of other juicy information.

They laid it all out in a book called “The Lost Diamond” as part of a broader look at the issue of promising young players from West Africa moving to Europe, by legal and illegal means.

SunSport is aware of details of the Mikel case that did NOT make it past the publishers’ lawyers – but the basic story is shocking enough.
Chelsea breached Fifa rules by “signing” Mikel when he was still 16 and sent him to Lyn Oslo with some Nigerian friends to lie low until he could legally sign a pro contract at 18.

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All was going to plan until United tracked down Mikel and announced in 2005 that he had joined them instead.

The only problem was that Lyn’s chief executive Andersen had copied and pasted Mikel’s signature from his amateur contract onto a professional deal in order to facilitate the sale to United.

Neither the Blues nor United wanted the world to hear what had gone on, hence the attempted cover-up that allowed Mikel to move to Stamford Bridge after all.

And in the end, only Andersen was ever punished. He was given a suspended one-year jail sentence in 2008 for forging documents relating to Mikel.

In the wake of that verdict, Chelsea launched legal proceedings against Lyn to recover the full £16m they had paid for Mikel, claiming the Norwegian club was guilty of “fraudulent misrepresentation” regarding the player’s contract status.

But the Blues themselves had been guilty of malpractice in the deal – and not for the last time in the Roman Abramovich era, it seems.

LONG STORY SHORT

A long throw-in was a dagger in the hearts of Chelsea at the death away to Brentford at the weekend.

But the goal conceded was felt most painfully by Chelsea set-piece coach Bernardo Cueva, who joked he was ‘killed by his own weapon’, as he walked through the mixed zone, having previously been a coach at Brentford.

Cueva agreed to join the Blues from the Bees in March 2024, taking up his role in the following summer.

And although Brentford loved a long throw under Cueva, they were very keen to play up how they have become kings of the technique SINCE Cueva’s departure – in the wake of Fabio Carvalho’s controversial late equaliser.

The Bees crowed on their website that, of the 24 goals scored from long throws in the Premier League since the start of 2024/5, the club had claimed seven of them – 28 per cent.

SHUTTERSTOCKBlues set-piece coach Bernard Cueva felt ‘killed by his own weapon’ in the Blues’ draw with Brentford[/caption]

Chelsea themselves have not used long throws much so far in this campaign. But they and Cueva will be well aware of the trend and the importance of being effective in dealing with it at both ends of the pitch.

Premier League statistics show that in the season so far, long throws – defined as deliveries of 20 metres or more – have happened 3.03 times per game.

That is by far the highest number since records began in 2015/16, nearly double the previous high of 1.67 in 2018/19.

Chelsea have some long-throw pedigree in their ranks in the shape of Liam Delap.

The injured striker is the son of long-throw legend Rory, the former Stoke and Republic of Ireland star.

And Delap junior himself was BANNED from taking long throws as a child, after parents from rival junior teams complained they “ruined the game”.

Cueva would have no complaints, of course.

NIC OF TIME

Nicolas Jackson may get a very early chance to show Chelsea what they’re missing on Wednesday night.

Players sent on loan to Premier League rivals are never able to face their parent club, but there is no such rule for the Champions League.

Jackson suffered a dramatic deadline day as his switch to Bayern Munich, who host the Blues in Europe tomorrow, was called off before being revived.

The Senegalese striker may not start for Vincent Kompany’s side, but the German giants will be taking advantage of his knowledge whether he plays or not.

Bayern sporting director Max Eberl said: “I’m sure Vincent Kompany and the coaching staff will ask him.

“There are always certain processes that you might still see in the analysis.

“What signals do they have? What do these signals mean?
“I certainly believe the coaching staff is taking advantage of this.”

GETTYNicolas Jackson could face parent club Chelsea in the Champions League tomorrow[/caption]

GUIU’S SURPRISE ROLE

When Marc Guiu was recalled from Sunderland, he would have imagined at least making the bench amid Chelsea’s striker crisis.

But the young Spaniard took the short trip to Brentford with the squad, only to be left out of it entirely, taking up the role of the ‘extra man’.

When Cole Palmer pulled out of the West Ham game in the warm-up – before Guiu was recalled from Sunderland – it was third-choice goalkeeper Gaga Slonina who took the spare spot on the subs bench.

Enzo Maresca has insisted Guiu will get his chance this season with so many games, but questions are being asked over his need to be recalled.

Shim Mheuka is thriving with the U21’s and there is talk of Emanuel Emegha’s arrival from sister club Strasbourg being brought forward to January from next summer.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Guiu on the move again next summer, especially if he is not given the chance to show what he can do.

GETTYMarc Guiu will likely be moved on by Chelsea next summer[/caption]

ROGER THAT

Chelsea will keep a close eye on progress – or lack of it – in contract talks between Morgan Rogers and Aston Villa.

The Midlands side priced Rogers out of a move to the Blues, Arsenal, Tottenham and other suitors in the summer, having found alternative methods to raise money to meet Profit and Sustainability Rules.

The young England star is yet to live up to that £80m+ tag in a difficult start to the season for Villa but Chelsea remain very keen to sign him.

And it remains to be seen whether Villa will follow up on suggestions they would be prepared to improve Rogers’ terms for the second time in less than a year, after he did not go down the Alexander Isak route of trying to force a move.

Last November, Rogers extended his Villa Park deal until 2030. It is believed the revised contract did not include a release clause.

ALAMYChelsea are big admirers of Morgan Rogers[/caption]

In theory, Villa should not be under any pressure to give Rogers a new deal that either inserts an exit route for a specified fee or boosts his wages.

In practice, the stranglehold that PSR has over clubs like Villa and Newcastle means they have to cash in on assets if they do not qualify for the Champions League.

Ollie Watkins, who also attracted attention in the transfer window, will turn 30 during this campaign. That will leave Rogers as far and away Villa’s most valuable player.

Chelsea brought in Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Alejandro Garnacho to refresh Enzo Maresca’s attacking options in the summer.

But the Blues would have little hesitation in going for Rogers if the price was right next year.

OUATT THE HELL?

Chelsea, by most accounts, got fairly lucky with VAR when goals scored by Eberechi Eze and Josh King were ruled out to prevent them from going behind against Crystal Palace and Fulham.

But now Blues fans are the ones feeling hard done by, claiming that Brentford’s last-ditch equaliser should have been ruled out for an offside offence by Dango Outtara.

Following a long throw, VAR deemed the Brentford winger NOT to be interfering with play, despite him swinging at the ball and missing it directly in front of Reece James.

REUTERSBrentford celebrate scoring their last-ditch equaliser against Chelsea[/caption]

Yet they claimed even the slightest touch on the ball would’ve seen it ruled out.

The VAR review said: “Ouattara didn’t touch the ball, so it was a subjective judgement for the VAR to determine impact.

The on-field team told VAR that they didn’t know Ouattara was offside, but they didn’t feel he did anything to trigger an offence, so goal given.”

PGMOL Chief Howard Webb has insisted on a higher threshold for intervention following the controversial decision to disallow King’s goal for Fulham against Chelsea – so the Blues were arguably victims of their own good fortune in the end.

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