Afrobeats singer Mr Eazi has claimed that English football club Chelsea FC was interested in signing him before the club secured the services of former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel.
The musician made the revelation during an interview with The Beat FM on Wednesday.
According to Mr Eazi, both he and Mikel were linked with potential moves to Chelsea around the same period. However, he chose to focus on building a career in music instead of pursuing the football opportunity.
“They were gonna sign me. So, it was like Mikel Obi and me,” he stated.
He explained that he thought Mikel was better suited to football, while he had a future in music.
“I just thought that Mikel Obi is not; he doesn’t have talent as a musician. But I can do that. So I let Mikel go to Chelsea,” he said.
Mr Eazi linked the decision to his philosophy in the music industry, where he sometimes steps back so others can shine.
“So with this, with the music too, I had to, like, step back, go make a couple billions and then let other people shine,” he added.
He also cited fellow singer Seyi Vibez, whom he jokingly called a great Nigerian philosopher, for popularising the phrase ‘Let your brother shine’, noting that he is comfortable allowing others to take the spotlight while focusing on his own goals.
Mikel eventually joined Chelsea in 2006 and spent 11 years at the club, winning two Premier League titles, four FA Cups and the UEFA Champions League in 2012.
Mr Eazi has since become one of Africa’s most successful music exports, with a career spanning Afrobeats hit, business ventures, and contributions to the genre’s global growth.