John Obi Mikel
Winners: Chelsea, Manchester United
Losers: FC Lyn Oslo
Norwegian side FC Lyn Oslo had a fine young player on their books in John Obi Mikel, and Manchester United thought they had sealed a deal for the then 18 year-old in summer 2005, announcing a £4m deal had been agreed on their website.
However, Chelsea then claimed they too had agreed a deal.
Roman Abramovich elected to resolve the situation by throwing money at the problem The Blues elected to resolve the process through negotiation, and Manchester United were paid £12m for a player who had not made a single appearance for them, while FC Lyn Oslo received a mere £4m.
Chelsea then made a claim with the High Court for £16m against both FC Lyn Oslo and their director Morgan Andersen, which was settled out of court.
If that settlement was for a figure of more than £4m, it’s hard to imagine how the John Obi Mikel transfer could have gone worse for FC Lyn Oslo.