Ghana defender Inkoom looks back on big money move to Ukrainian side Dnipro

Ghana international Samuel Inkoom holds no regrets about his transfer to Ukrainian side Dnipro in 2011.

On top of his game at Swiss side Basel and consequently linked to Barcelona, the then 21-year-old joined Dnipro in a bumper deal reportedly worth €5 million.

Media speculation at the time also indicated Inkoom’s wages were tripled from what he previously earned while Basel scooped US$7 million.

"I think going to Ukraine wasn’t a bad move because when I was going there, everybody knew that Juande Ramos was the coach there," Inkoom told Joy FM.

"A coach with so much experience, he had coached one of the biggest teams in the world Real Madrid. And when [Ramos] says that he wants you in his team, then you must know that he has seen something special in you.

“Basel [wanted] the money because it was huge money for a right back. I was having a newborn baby as well. I will just say that in my opinion, I didn’t want to go [to Dnipro].

"The club spoke to me, we had a conference [between] me, the president of the team, the football director, the coach and I told them I wasn’t ready to go because of my baby.

“At the end of the day, they loved the money and they wanted me to go to help the club as well. So I thought about it and decided that why not? If I can also bring something onto the table for the club to develop, then why not? So I had to sacrifice."

Inkoom, who had joined Basel from Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko, permanently severed ties with Dnipro after three years.

The now 30-year-old could be described as a journeyman, having played for eight clubs in the last seven years.

While at Dnipro, he had loan stints with French side Bastia and Greek fold Platanias, in 2013 and 2014, respectively.

In 2014, Inkoom moved to Major League Soccer side DC United, a club he would leave after just one year to join Portuguese outfit Boavista.

In 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2020, the right-back signed deals with Turkish side Antalyaspor, Vereya and Dunav Ruse in Bulgaria as well as Georgian fold Samtredia, respectively.

A full Ghana international, Inkoom represented the West Africans at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa where they reached the quarter-final.

A year earlier, he helped Ghana win the Fifa U20 World Cup in Egypt.