Former Super Eagles striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni believes his prime years in today’s transfer market would have commanded a fee in the region of €150 million, given the soaring prices now attached to top forwards.

Reflecting on his career during a conversation on the AY Suga Channel, the former Nigeria international contrasted his era with the current landscape, where strikers with modest returns attract huge bids. He pointed to the going rate for attackers who hit double figures 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, arguing that his own consistency in front of goal would place him in the elite bracket today.

Yakubu regularly reached or surpassed the 15-goal mark in league campaigns, a level of productivity that underpinned his reputation as one of the most reliable finishers of his generation. He highlighted his move from Middlesbrough to Everton as a benchmark for how much the market has inflated.

Everton paid around £11.5 million to sign him from Middlesbrough, a significant outlay at the time. “From Borough to Everton was like £11.5 million, and that £11.5 million is like €150 million,” he said, suggesting that a striker with his numbers would now sit in the same financial bracket as some of the game’s most expensive forwards.

Yakubu also spoke candidly about the pressure that comes with a big transfer fee. Before joining Everton, he had already made a high-profile switch from Portsmouth to Middlesbrough for about £7.5 million, a move that raised expectations around his performances.

“It was a lot of pressure to deliver. Big pressure,” he admitted. “When you’re bought for big amount of money, you have to deliver your best.” For Yakubu, that meant scoring regularly, leading the line with authority and justifying every pound spent on him.

The Nigerian forward built an impressive Premier League résumé with Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Everton and Blackburn Rovers, amassing more than 90 league goals. On the international stage, he was a key figure for the Super Eagles, scoring 21 times and cementing his status as one of Nigeria’s most prolific modern strikers.