After a long delay and a lot of speculation, the Yak is finally in China! Today, Yakubu Aiyegbeni was unveiled by his new club Guangzhou R&F. Despite all the talk about his joining Guangzhou and without seeing him with his R&F jersey, it finally happened today when he was introduced to the media.
The striker follows in the footsteps of fellow Premier Leaguer Marlon Harewood, who was part of the side that won promotion last season. The 29 year old Nigerian is on a massive $7.85 million contract making him one of the league’s highest paid players. Yakubu’s aging, but he’s also coming off his best Premiership season where he tried to save Blackburn from relegation, scoring 17 goals in 30 matches. He’s also been a crucial part of the Nigerian national team and is one of the country’s leading scorers.
While it is unlikely he will play much of a role in this weekend’s Guangzhou derby, he is a much needed addition to the Southern side who are struggling as of late. He’s also part of the growing African trend that has taken over the league during this summer’s transfer window, the fourth to join a club during this window.
It’s exciting times in Chinese football these days and I’m looking forward to seeing Yakubu show off his skill in the CSL.
