Football is a money game, with many players ditching the playing-for-passion mantra to cement their future. Perhaps Victor Osimhen should consider that a footballer's career is not long.
The Nigerian striker is desired by several clubs in the world, but the lad from Olusosun is yet to sort out his future amid the issues with his Italian club.
Osimhen was recently nominated for the Ballon d'Or, where he finished eighth – the highest by any Nigerian in history and among the top African players. Despite his achievements, his weekly take home is nothing compared to many African players.
With his talent and achievements, Osimhen should be one of the highest-earning African players, but in a top-15 list, the Napoli striker is nowhere to be found. Perhaps if he had joined the Saudi train, he would be swimming in mega bucks.
How much does Osimhen earn?
Osimhen is one of the top dogs at Napoli and the highest earner at the club.The former Lille striker ranks higher than Piotr Zielinski, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Giacomo Raspadori and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. He earns €4.5m net (€5.9m gross), which brings his weekly wages to €86,538 net (€113,461.5).
The other players in Napoli's salary ranking are Zielinski – €3.5m net (€6.4m gross), Lobotka – €3.5m net (€4.5m gross), Di Lorenzo – €3m net (€5.5m gross), Demme – €2.5m net (€3.2m gross) and Raspadori – €2.5m net (€4.6m gross).
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is one of the lowest earners at the club at €1.0m net (€1.3m gross). With these wages, where does Osimhen rank among Africa's top-earning players?
Africa's top-earning footballers
While Osimhen does not feature in the top 14 highest-earning players in Africa, only one Nigerian makes the list – Alex Iwobi.
The list is populated by players plying their trade in Saudi Arabia. The Middle Eastern country is now the Mecca of money football and has seven of the top-earning players plying their trade there.
Five players play in the English Premier League, while two feature in the French Ligue 1 and the German Bundesliga.
Perhaps if Osimhen signs a new contract with Napoli, his salary could push him into the top earners of Africa. A move to Saudi Arabia would also be more lucrative for the Nigerian striker, as there is still interest in him by clubs in the Middle Eastern country.
It is clear that Osimhen has not started earning the big bucks, but with interest from far and wide, it's only a matter of time.
The top-earning footballers in Africa
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Africa’s top earning footballers |
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| # | Name | Country | Club | Position | Pay/week |
| 1 | Riyad Mahrez | Algeria | Al Ahli | Forward | £865,000 |
| 2 | Sadio Mane | Senegal | Al Nassr | Forward | £650,000 |
| 3 | Kalidou Koulibaly | Senegal | Al Hilal | Defender | £576,000 |
| 4 | Mohamed Salah | Egypt | Liverpool | Forward | £350,000 |
| 5 | Seko Fofana | Ivory Coast | Midfielder | Al Nassr | £250,000 |
| 6 | Franck Kessie | Ivory Coast | Midfielder | Al Ahli | £232,000 |
| 7 | Edouard Mendy | Senegal | Al Ahli | Goalkeeper | £227,000 |
| 8 | Thomas Partey | Ghana | Arsenal | Midfielder | £200,000 |
| 9 | Sebastian Haller | Ivory Coast | Borussia Dortmund | Forward | £181,000 |
| 10 | Achraf Hakimi | Morocco | PSG | Defender | £176,000 |
| 11 | Yassine Bounou | Morocco | Al Hilal | Goalkeeper | £166,000 |
| 12 | Alex Iwobi | Nigeria | Fulham | Midfielder | £120,000 |
| 13 | Abdoulaye Doucouré | Mali | Everton | Midfielder | £120,000 |
| 14 | Andre Onana | Cameroon | Man United | Goalkeeper | £115,000 |
This article was most recently revised and updated 1 year ago
