United may have to repay £12m Obi fee to Chelsea

Manchester United may be obliged to pay back their portion of the £16 million transfer fee which Chelsea paid to sign John Mikel Obi if Morgan Andersen, a former Lyn Oslo director, is convicted of forging the Nigeria midfield player's first professional contract, according to

Andersen is being tried for fraud in an Oslo court this week, and if he is found guilty the Norwegian public prosecutor may argue that the settlement should be cancelled on the grounds that Obi's previous contract with Lyn Oslo was invalid, making him available as a free agent.

Chelsea are unable to comment on the trial because they signed a confidentially agreement when the compensation package was agreed in June 2006, with United and Lyn receiving £12m and £4m respectively when Obi moved to Stamford Bridge.

The dispute reached farcical levels three years ago when Obi disappeared amid allegations of kidnapping, intimidation and fraud.

Much of the uncertainty sprang from confusion over who owned Mikel, with Chelsea claiming that they had reached an agreement privately to sign a teenager who was playing as an amateur and United announcing his signature days after his 18th birthday in April 2005.

Andersen's trial is expected to last two weeks and Mikel and his agent, John Shittu, could be called to testify via videophone. Andersen denies all the charges.