Everton sign Middlesbrough's Yakubu

Everton have finally closed the transfer of Yakubu Aiyegbeni in a club record £11.25 million deal.

Everton sign Middlesbrough's Yakubu The Nigerian striker Yakubu signed with Everton for the club record deal of £11.25 million. The 24-year-old footballer was initially denied a permit, after failing to take part in more than 75% of Nigeria's International games in the last two years. Everton, however, appealed and won, signing Yakubu for five years after passing a medical, in a club-record deal.

Statement from Yakubu was posted on the Everton website, reading "I am happy to be here. It is a great feeling to come over and meet a lot of good players and see the spirit that they have. I have always said that I want to play for a club that plays in Europe and I think they have the ambition to move forward and they want to finish in the first four and the Champions League and Uefa Cup and for me that is my dream."

Yakubu is outscored only by Thierry Henry in the Premier League in the past four years, but says he is ready to leave Middlesbrough due to lack of European football. His debut with English club was in 2003 for Portsmouth, netting 36 goals in the 81 games he played with the club during the 2 years spent at Pompey. In 2005 he was transferred to Boro for a £7.5 million fee. According to the British betting website Bet365, Everton's odd on winning the Barclays Premier League this season are 300/1.

Published on 08/29/2007