African Footballers Drive Premier League Salaries

African footballers are no longer just lighting up the Premier League. They are driving it – and being paid like it.

A new set of reported salary estimates, published on MSN on Wednesday, underlines just how far the continent’s elite have climbed in England’s financial hierarchy. From Manchester to Newcastle to north London, African stars now sit on some of the biggest contracts in the division.

At the very top of the pile is a new name in English football.

Marmoush sets a new benchmark

Omar Marmoush has walked into Manchester City and straight onto the summit of the Premier League’s African rich list.

The Egyptian forward, signed from Eintracht Frankfurt in January 2025 after an eye-catching spell in the Bundesliga, is reportedly earning £295,000 per week. That figure doesn’t just put him ahead of his African peers – it almost doubles the £150,000 bracket that houses the next group of top earners.

For an African player in England, it is a statement wage. For City, it underlines how highly they rate the 25-year-old’s impact in attack.

The £150,000 club: Ghana and Cameroon power

Behind Marmoush, a cluster of African attackers have pushed their way into the Premier League’s upper pay tier.

• Bryan Mbeumo, now at Manchester United after his rise at Brentford, is one of them. The Cameroon international is reported to be on £150,000 per week at Old Trafford, a salary that reflects his status as one of his country’s standout forwards in the league.
• Sharing that wage level is Antoine Semenyo. The Ghanaian’s sharp rise through English football has taken him to Manchester City, where his reported £150,000-a-week deal at the Etihad confirms just how far his stock has climbed.
• Another Ghanaian, Mohammed Kudus, has also hit that same financial bracket. The attacking midfielder, who made his Premier League name at West Ham United before moving to Tottenham Hotspur, is reportedly on £150,000 per week. Kudus has become one of Africa’s most prominent creative forces in the division, and his pay packet now matches his reputation.

Wissa, Mazraoui and the defensive gold

Just below that top band sits Yoane Wissa. The DR Congo forward, a consistent attacking presence since his arrival in England, is understood to be earning around £140,000 per week at Newcastle United. It is the kind of salary that underlines Newcastle’s ambition and Wissa’s importance in their front line.

At Manchester United, Noussair Mazraoui has turned defensive quality into serious money. The Moroccan full-back is reportedly on £135,000 per week, a figure that places him among the highest-paid African defenders in the Premier League. In a league that often reserves its biggest wages for forwards, that number stands out.

Young stars cashing in

The next tier features some of the most intriguing young talents from the continent.

• At Old Trafford, Amad Diallo’s progress has been rewarded. The Ivorian winger is estimated to earn £120,000 per week at Manchester United, putting him among the better-paid African players at the club and underlining the faith in his long-term potential.
• On the blue side of Manchester, Rayan Aït-Nouri has joined the growing African contingent at City. The Algerian full-back, whose move to the Etihad strengthened City’s options on the flank, is also reportedly earning £120,000 per week. His arrival adds yet another high-earning African name to a squad already stacked with global talent.
• Carlos Baleba represents the next wave. The Cameroon midfielder has completed his move to Manchester United from Brighton & Hove Albion and is reportedly set to earn around £90,000 per week. At 22, after three seasons at Brighton following his 2023 switch from Lille, that contract places him below the continent’s established superstars but firmly among the better-paid young African players in the league.

Iwobi and the Premier League’s African backbone

Not every influential African name is at a title-chasing giant.

Alex Iwobi continues to carry Nigeria’s flag in the Premier League from Fulham. The midfielder, who joined the club from Everton in September 2023, is estimated to earn around £80,000 per week – roughly £4.16 million per year before bonuses. It is a solid, senior-pro wage for a player who remains one of Nigeria’s most recognisable figures in English football.

From Egypt to Ghana, Cameroon to Algeria, the reported numbers paint a clear picture: African footballers are no longer just part of the Premier League story. They are shaping it – and being paid at a level that reflects their growing power in the English game.