I’d Be Worth €150m If I Played in Today’s Football Era — Yakubu

Former Super Eagles striker Yakubu Ayegbeni has claimed that he could have been worth around €150 million if he were playing in today’s football market.

Yakubu made the statement during an interview on AY Suga Channel while reflecting on his playing career, transfer fees and the pressure that comes with expensive moves.

The former Premier League striker compared the transfer fees of his era with the huge amounts clubs now pay for attacking players.

According to Yakubu, modern players can command enormous transfer fees even when they score relatively few goals in the Premier League.

“You see players now, I’m sorry to say, you score 10 goals, it’s €50 million. Ten goals in the Premier League is €50 million,” he said.

Yakubu recalled that he regularly scored around 15 goals per season in the Premier League during his playing career.

“I scored every year, it’s like 15, 15 in the Premier League,” the former striker said.

He then compared the value of his own transfer to Everton with the current football market.

Yakubu moved from Middlesbrough to Everton for £11.5 million, a significant fee at the time.

Reflecting on the transfer, he suggested that the same deal would command a vastly higher valuation in today’s market.

“And then from Borough to Everton was like £11.5 million, and that £11.5 million is like €150 million,” he explained.

Yakubu had previously joined Middlesbrough from Portsmouth for £7.5 million, another sizeable transfer that placed considerable expectations on him.

The former Nigeria international acknowledged the pressure associated with expensive transfers, explaining that players brought in for substantial fees are expected to deliver immediately.

“It was a lot of pressure to deliver. Big pressure,” Yakubu said.

He noted that the financial expectations surrounding players can significantly affect the pressure they experience on the pitch.

Yakubu enjoyed a prolific career in England, representing clubs including Portsmouth, Middlesbrough and Everton.

He became one of Nigeria’s most successful Premier League strikers and scored 21 goals for the Super Eagles.

His comments come amid a period when transfer fees for elite footballers have risen dramatically, with clubs regularly spending tens of millions of euros on forwards and other key players.

Yakubu’s assessment reflects how significantly the football transfer market has changed since his playing days and highlights the difference between the financial value of players then and now.