Tunde Lawuyi: Highest Paid Nigerian Footballers in Premier League

The long wait is over and a new season of football is finally upon us. Besides the transfer news and the action on the pitch following week 2, another hot topic for discussion has been the increase in wages of EPL players. Sportingintelligence’s Global Sports Salaries Survey says the average annual wage in England’s top flight league is now £2,642,508 (or £50,817 per week).

In view of that, I have put together a list showing where our boys rank. Who is the highest plaid Nigerian in the EPL. This would be a very short list if I only ranked Nigerians who claim Nigeria as their home country or represent “Naija”internationally. This list includes all players of Nigerian descent listed in the official squads for the 2018/19 season.

Players like Odion Ighalo for example who left the EPL for China before the season kicked off are not listed.

Stefano Okaka
Age: 29
Club: Watford
Position: Forward
Transfer Fee: £10 million
Joined Club: 2016
Contract Expires: 2021
Former Club: R.S.C. Anderlecht
International Team: Italy
Weekly Wage: £18,000

Jordan Ibe
Age: 22
Club: AFC Bournemouth
Position: Midfield
Transfer Fee: £15.3 million
Joined Club: 2016
Contract Expires: 2020
Former Club: Liverpool
International Team: England
Weekly Wage: £20,000

Dominic Solanke
Age: 20
Club: Liverpool
Position: Forward
Transfer Fee: Free
Joined Club: 2017
Contract Expires: 2022
Former Club: Chelsea FC
International Team: England
Weekly Wage: £20,000

Ademola Lookman
Age: 20
Club: Everton
Position: Forward
Transfer Fee: £7.5 million
Joined Club: 2017
Contract Expires: 2021
Former Club :Charlton Athletic
International Team: England
Weekly Wage: £23,000

Alex Iwobi
Age: 22
Club: Arsenal
Position: Midfield
Transfer Fee: n/a
Joined Club: Joined as junior
Contract Expires: 2023
Former Club: n/a
International Team: Nigeria
Weekly Wage: £30,000

Isaac Success
Age: 22
Club: Watford
Position: Forward
Transfer Fee: £12.5 million
Joined Club: 2016
Contract Expires: 2021
Former Club: Granada
International Team: Nigeria
Weekly Wage: £45,000

Wilfred Ndidi
Age: 21
Club: Leicester City
Position: Midfield
Transfer Fee: £17 million
Joined Club: 2018
Contract Expires: 2024
Former Club: Gent
International Team: Nigeria
Weekly Wage: £50,000

Dele Alli
Age: 22
Club: Tottenham Hotspur
Position: Midfield
Transfer Fee: £5 million
Joined Club: 2015
Contract Expires: 2022
Former Club: Milton Keynes Dons
International Team: England
Weekly Wage: £50,000

Kelechi Iheanacho
Age: 21
Club: Leicester City
Position: Forward
Transfer Fee: £25,000
Joined Club: 2017
Contract Expires: 2022
Former Club: Manchester City
International Team: Nigeria
Weekly Wage: £70,000

Angelo Ogbonna
Age: 30
Club: West Ham United
Position: Defence
Transfer Fee: £10 million
Joined Club: 2015
Contract Expires: 2020
Former Club: Juventus
International Team: Italy
Weekly Wage: £70,000

Victor Moses
Age: 27
Club: Chelsea FC
Position: Wing
Transfer Fee: £9 million
Joined Club: 2012
Contract Expires: 2021
Former Club: Wigan
International Team: Nigeria
Weekly Wage: £75,000

This list wouldn’t of course be complete without mentioning Leon Balogun. He is one of the newest Nigerian imports into the EPL from FSV Mainz in the Bundesliga joining Brighton & Hove Albion on a free transfer. As yet his weekly wages are undisclosed so he doesn’t have a place on our list yet.