Melbourne Victory aborts move for Michael Essien

Melbourne Victory’s attempt to sign former Chelsea superstar Michael Essien under the guest marquee rule appears to have been scuppered, with a number of legal issues holding the move back.

Essien appeared ready to make the move to the A-League, and his signing had been given Football Federation Australia (FFA)’s seal of approval under the new marquee rule.

However, a number of unpaid fees to Essien from Panathinaikos, the Greek club where he most recently played, were not resolved for some time, and it is this sticking point which has held the move back.

A Victory spokesperson confirmed to the Herald Sun the 33-year-old Ghanaian would not be signing for Victory.

“As it stands, Michael Essien won’t be joining Melbourne Victory as a guest marquee in the 2016-17 season.”

“The club has been in constant discussions with Michael and his representatives, but due to some personal issues, Michael has unfortunately decided not to move to Melbourne.”