In a recent interview with hurriyet, Jay-Jay Okocha, the former Nigerian footballer, discussed the current transfer market and how he would have been valued in today’s football world.

Okocha, who played for renowned clubs like PSG, Fenerbahçe, and Eintracht Frankfurt, believes that he would have cost around €150m if he were playing today, based on his abilities as a midfielder.

“Maybe 1 billion should have been paid for me,” he joked, highlighting the incredible inflation of transfer fees in recent years. “They paid £106m for their defensive midfielder Chelsea. To a player from Portugal. I would have cost around €150m. My assists, dribbles… World football started to pay a lot of money. Such would be the numbers of players of this quality.”

Okocha also expressed his sadness about leaving Fenerbahçe, where he was beloved by the fans, saying that it was a difficult decision for him to make. “When I went to the World Cup, I had no such thing in mind. After the matches in the World Cup, an offer came from PSG. Aziz Yildirim was the president. He didn’t want to send me. He didn’t even interview the PSG Club. This process has been very difficult. Despite my sadness, when such an offer came, I wanted to make money for Fenerbahçe.”

Okocha’s comments highlight the increasing value of top-tier football players, especially in today’s market, where clubs are willing to spend exorbitant amounts to secure their desired players. While it is uncertain if Okocha would actually have been worth €150m in today’s football climate, his impressive skills and track record in the sport certainly make him one of the legends of the game.

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