Yakubu Aiyegbeni reveals he almost joined Chelsea

By Monsurah Olatunji

Former Everton striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni has opened up about the transfer that never happened, revealing that he was on the verge of joining Chelsea in 2008—only for a serious injury to derail the move.

The Nigerian forward, who had an impressive Premier League career with Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, and Everton, was reportedly “very, very close” to signing for Chelsea when disaster struck.

Aiyegbeni suffered an Achilles injury that sidelined him for 11 months, ultimately affecting not just his career but also his mental well-being.

In an emotional interview with Flashscore, Yakubu reflected on the tough period in his career.

“Everything was spot on and looked like it was going to happen, but I got injured and couldn’t play for 11 months,” he recalled.

“That’s my ‘wow’ moment, which I look back on, really. I felt like I was on fire at the time, and the move to Chelsea was pretty much there for me.”

The injury occurred during a match against Tottenham, just 10 minutes in, when he collided with Ledley King. “I can remember it all so clearly… I went up for a ball with Ledley King and just felt something pop in my calf,” Yakubu said.

Rehabilitation was grueling, and the emotional toll was evident. “Rehab was tough; there was so much repetition, and whenever I got to the training ground, my teammates were gone. Sometimes it would just be me at the training ground, and I’d be going crazy.”

While Yakubu’s career eventually took him to Blackburn Rovers, Reading, and Coventry City before his retirement in 2017, he admitted the mental challenges of recovering from such a serious injury.

“When you’re coming back from a serious injury like that, it’s crazy, because mentally you’re just not OK.

“You’re so keen to get back playing again, and training with your teammates. But you’re constantly thinking about whether or not you’re going to be alright; whether it’s going to happen again.”

Yakubu’s near-move to Chelsea remains one of the “what could have been” moments of his career, and his story serves as a reminder of the tough mental and physical challenges that professional athletes face.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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