Chelsea and Manchester United miss out on Essien

By European Football
July 5 2005

Manchester United and Chelsea’s long running bid to lure Lyon star Michael Essien to the premiership has floundered at the final hurdle and it looks like they will have to wait for at least another season. Lyon have stated all along that they were desperate to hold on to the player for at least one more year and it appears they have succeeded in doing just that, with his agent Fabien Piveteau stating:

"The chairman of Lyon wants to keep the player for one more year. It's not a problem because he's a young player and Lyon is a good club."

"If it is possible to leave for a big club in England then that is better, but the problem is it is not Michael deciding and it is not me."

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