REVEALED: Jose Mourinho Stopped Michael Essien From Joining Arsenal

Former Chelsea and Inter Milan boss, Jose Mourinho convinced Michael Essien to join Real Madrid instead of Arsenal.

Essien endured a torrid time at Stamford Bridge after Italian manager, Roberto Di Matteo was appointed as interim coach following the exit of Villas-Boas.

Essien started generating huge interest from other clubs, which lead to Mourinho getting wind of a rumour he was planning to join Chelsea's Premier League rivals Arsenal.

According to the Ghana legend, he had a strange phone call from Jose Mourinho whiles in Monaco with his cousin on transfer deadline day not to tell him to stay put, rather to tell him to go to Real Madrid with him instead.

"I was with Chelsea in Monaco for the Super Cup and a strange number called me but I didn't want to answer it but my cousin who was in the room with me that day told me to pick it up," Essien said on Instagram Live with Carol Tshabalala.

"The number kept calling so I picked and as soon as I said hello and another hello came from the other end and I realised who was on the phone so I told my cousin it's Jose Mourinho.

"We started talking and he said, 'I heard you're on your way to Arsenal'. But I told him it's not true. I had not heard anything from Arsenal. Then he said don't go to Arsenal, come to me and I asked him where, and he said Real Madrid so I told him I'm ready.

"It was the last day of the transfer window and he said okay give me your agent's number. I told him I'm ready even if it means I have to leave in the midst of the Super Cup game.

"He said Lassana Diarra was supposed to move to Russia so if he accepts to go then they will process my transfer and I told him, 'OK, I'm waiting, just chilling in my room'. He said give me a couple hours I'll call back and I said cool.

"My agent called after a few hours and said what happened and I told him I spoke to Jose about moving to Madrid and said he gave Jose my number. He told me to relax because Madrid will come and I just said OK."