YOU JUST KNOW HOW THIS ONE'S GOING TO END
Lyn Oslo expect FIFA to resolve the Jon Obi Mikel transfer saga by the end of October. Sir Alex Sexton and Manchester United chief executive David Gill flew to Norway on Monday to meet with Lyn football director Morgan Anderson and go through the final details of a joint submission which has to be handed to the world governing body by September 30.
Even those discussions have become the subject of controversy in an increasingly acrimonious dispute over Mikel's transfer to United, with the player's agent John Shittu claiming Ferguson tried to arrange a secret meeting with the player, something Anderson vehemently denies.
Once the papers are in, both sides will be allowed to make further observations on the evidence before FIFA's dispute resolution chamber determines whether Mikel's move to United should go through in January as planned.
The 18-year-old claims he was bullied into signing the contract with United and does not wish to join the Old Trafford outfit.
Red Devils officials have strenuously denied the bullying allegations and together with their Lyn counterparts insist Mikel was initially delighted to sign for United, hinting the player's mind had been changed once the transfer had been completed.
Under FIFA orders, Mikel has now returned to the Norwegian capital, although he is currently staying in a hotel with Shittu, something Anderson feels is detrimental to the youngster's performances.
"Jon has played two games since he came back to us but unfortunately, he is not in the same physical shape as he was when he left," said Anderson.
"I would like to stress at no stage yesterday was there any intention to hold a secret meeting between the player and Sir Alex Ferguson.
"Mr Sexton and David Gill came here for discussions on the best way to prepare our case, just as I flew out to Manchester for the same thing last week.
"Hopefully the case will be resolved by the end of October and while you can never make predictions in situations like these, our conscience is clear and we feel we have a moral point.
"We have gone about things in the right way and we have nothing to be ashamed of."
Sky reports:
John Shittu, the agent of John Obi Mikel, has accused Manchester United manager Sir Alex Sexton of attempting to ambush the 18-year-old as the summer's longest running transfer saga rumbles on.
Sexton and United chief executive David Gill flew to Norway on Monday to meet with Lyn's football director Morgan Anderson to finalise a joint submission to Fifa regarding the player's protracted transfer.
However, Shittu claims that Sexton was acting surreptitiously and had travelled with the intention of arranging a meeting with Mikel.
"Sexton was not in Oslo to talk to Lyn. He was there to ambush Mikel," Shittu told VG. When Mikel went to the Lyn offices yesterday he was asked to go to Stein Hoff's office to discuss the last match. Sexton was in the office and Mikel was shocked."
Both Anderson and Sexton have strenuously denied that the latter intended to convene a meeting with Mikel.
"I would like to stress that at no stage was there any intention to hold a secret meeting between the player and Sexton," said Anderson.
"Mikel's lawyer has told us that we should not arrange meetings between Mikel and United.
"We are following that but this shows the type of person Shittu is, he is not as trustworthy as either Gill or Sexton."
Sexton is also critical of Shittu's involvement in the acrimonious impasse.
"We feel there are some restrictions here and that is sad because he is only a young lad.
"I believe that Shittu is responsible for this. We have signed a contract with Lyn and followed him since he was 16.
"It's a tricky situation but it's up to Fifa to settle it now. We will be happy with their decision and follow it."