MAN U, CHELSEA TUSSLE FOR 18- YEAR-OLD

FIFA INVESTIGATES TRANSFER

LONDON •

Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill have flown to Norway in an attempt to resurrect Manchester United’s $8-million bid for teenager John-Obi Mikel, a Nigerian who plays for an Oslo team.

Mikel, 18, is caught in a tugofwar between United and Chelsea despite putting pen to paper on a deal with United last April. In May, the midfielder then went AWOL from Oslo and pleaded for a move to Chelsea after claiming he was pressured into signing for United.

United manger Ferguson and chief executive Gill discussed the situation with Morgan Andersen, director of football for Mikel’s club team, Lyn Oslo, at Oslo’s Ullevaal Stadium yesterday during a four- hour stay in the Norwegian capital.

FIFA, European football’s ruling body, is now investigating the transfer and has set a Sept. 30 deadline for all parties to submit their arguments.

United and Lyn insist, however, that they have thrashed out an agreement for the player to head to Manchester in January.

Andersen said: “ We’ve got 10 days until the deadline and I presume that it will then take a month for the case to be settled by FIFA.’’

Mikel, who has returned to Oslo to resume his career with Lyn after several months’ absence, still insists he has no intention of moving to Manchester.

But Ferguson has made it clear that United expects to wrap up a deal. He said: “ We have an agreement with Lyn and have followed John- Obi Mikel for three years. We still want him to come to Manchester United.’’