Former Super Eagles striker Yakubu Ayegbeni believes he could have been worth around €150 million if he were playing in today’s transfer market.
The former Premier League forward reflected on his career, goalscoring record and the transfer fees associated with his biggest moves while comparing the football market of his generation with the current era.
Yakubu believes modern transfer valuations have risen significantly, with players now commanding huge fees after relatively modest goalscoring seasons.
Yakubu Ayegbeni compares his era with today’s transfer market
Speaking about the current transfer market, Yakubu pointed to the fees being paid for players who 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,” Yakubu said.
The former Nigeria international then highlighted his own goalscoring record, noting that he regularly scored around 15 Premier League goals during his career.
“I scored every year, it’s like 15, 15 in the Premier League,” he added.
Based on those numbers and the enormous transfer fees seen in modern football, Yakubu believes his value would have been considerably higher if he had played during today’s era.
Yakubu recalls Everton transfer
Yakubu also reflected on his £11.5 million transfer from Middlesbrough to Everton, suggesting that the fee would represent a much larger figure 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 said.
The striker enjoyed a productive spell at Everton, where he became known for his strength, finishing ability and goalscoring consistency.
Pressure came with big-money transfers
Before moving to Everton, Yakubu joined Middlesbrough from Portsmouth for £7.5 million.
The Nigerian admitted that the transfer fee created significant pressure because of the expectations attached to a big-money signing.
“It was a lot of pressure to deliver. Big pressure. From Portsmouth to Borough was like £7.5 million, it was massive,” Yakubu recalled.
He explained that players who command large transfer fees are expected to justify the investment on the pitch.
“When you’re bought for a big amount of money, you have to deliver your best.”
Yakubu believes he would be worth €150m today
Yakubu remains one of Nigeria’s most accomplished Premier League goalscorers, having enjoyed successful spells with Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Everton and Blackburn Rovers.
Looking at his goalscoring record and the dramatic rise in transfer fees, the former Super Eagles striker believes €150 million would have been a realistic valuation for him during his prime in today’s market.
Whether that figure would actually have been reached is open to debate, but Yakubu’s comments highlight just how dramatically football’s transfer market has changed over the years.