Peter Odemwingie has warned Sky Sports, West Bromwich Albion and Queens Park Rangers that he is considering legal action over the fallout from his infamous failed transfer on deadline day in 2013.
The former Nigeria international said in a video posted to Instagram on Tuesday that he would be seeing a lawyer next week "to make it official," accusing Sky Sports of repeatedly showing footage of the incident and criticising both clubs involved in the collapsed deal.
Odemwingie was at the centre of one of the most chaotic deadline day stories in Premier League history when he was interviewed by reporters through his car window outside Queens Park Rangers' Loftus Road stadium, believing he had completed a move to the London club.
The 2013 deadline day saga
It later emerged that QPR and West Brom, Odemwingie's club at the time, had failed to agree a transfer fee for the striker, and the proposed move collapsed just minutes before the 11pm deadline, sending him back to the Baggies.
Odemwingie was subsequently disciplined by West Brom for his actions and criticised by the club's then-chairman Jeremy Peace, who described his conduct as "wholly unprofessional." The incident has since been repeatedly retold and replayed by media outlets, becoming a lasting symbol of the chaos of deadline day.
Footage of the interview was shown again on Sky Sports News ahead of Tuesday night's deadline, prompting Odemwingie to hit back at the broadcaster.
Odemwingie's Instagram post
Posting the video, he wrote: "Sky Sports agents and employees of both clubs - West Brom and QPR - definitely have questions to answer and I will be seeing a lawyer next week to make it official."
He continued: "From simply a human side of it @SkySportsFootball, what is the motive/intention to show this episode on and on for so many years? The least will be lack or absence of respect in my opinion. Maybe they don't like that I am half Nigerian and half Russian? I can only guess. Could be something else. Who really knows."
Speaking in the video, Odemwingie accused Sky Sports of "milking" the situation. He said: "The problem about this whole story is that nobody is interested in the truth. They just want to be distracted. Sky Sports milked this situation for so many years. I think it's just wickedness really."
His version of what happened
Odemwingie claims the transfer negotiations were complicated by Junior Hoilett's involvement in a proposed swap deal, which led to lengthy discussions between the two clubs throughout the day.
He alleges that his agent, Barry McIntosh, worked alongside Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth to try to facilitate the move. Odemwingie said he was initially asked to take part in a Sky Sports interview while travelling towards London but rejected the idea, saying: "That's stupid, that's childish and I'll never go in front of a camera on purpose."
Instead, he claims he and McIntosh waited around two hours after attempts to contact West Brom went unanswered, before he followed his agent's car to QPR, believing the transfer had been resolved.
"Barry McIntosh told me it was all sorted," Odemwingie said. "His car was in front of mine and we were driving. I don't even know where we were going, whether to the training ground or to the stadium. I'd never been there before. Even when I'd gone to QPR, I just arrived on the bus and walked into the dressing room. They parked right by the doors."
"We continued driving and I was following his car. When he pulled up, then I waited and the cameras came. But then, West Brom also misbehaved that day, saying it was a conditional decision and that Hoilett had to go the other way for the deal to happen. There was no such condition given and they misbehaved. Then (Dan) Ashworth called West Brom director of football Richard Garlick."
He added: "Shame on them, shame on Sky and the agents. Sky never wanted to interview the agent. He had direct links with Sky. Dharmesh was interviewed by Roman and Evan Evans of World in Motion, because none of them gave any account of what happened."
Attack on Natalie Sawyer and the shirt auction
In a separate video posted days later, Odemwingie hit out at former Sky Sports presenter Natalie Sawyer, who hosted transfer deadline day coverage alongside Jim White. He shared footage of Sawyer discussing the saga on air and asking, "Would QPR really want to sign a player that would do this?"
Tagging Sky Sports, BBC Sport and talkSPORT, he wrote alongside the video: "Tables have turned. The time is ticking. Heads out the sand guys."
Odemwingie also criticised QPR for auctioning the shirt the club had prepared for his arrival on deadline day in January 2013, which had remained at the club for 13 years. The shirt was sold at auction in December last year.
Daily Mail Sport has approached Odemwingie for further details about his proposed legal action.
