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Plenty of African players have bagged lucrative deals and switched in the ongoing summer transfer window. Some of the best footballers in Europe's top five leagues also hail from the African continent. As a result, some of the highest paid footballers in the world currently hail from Africa.
Of late, the Saudi Pro League has become a fascinating destination for footballers. Saudi clubs offer a huge amount of money and plenty of top players from across the globe have packed their bags and moved to the middle east.
Some very well-known African players have now become some of the highest earners in the world of football by joining Saudi Arabian clubs. Without further ado, let's take a look at the five highest-paid African footballers right now,
#5 Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool) - £350,000 per week
Mohamed Salah is one of the greatest attackers Africa has ever produced. The Egypt international has been brilliant for Liverpool since joining the club in the summer of 2017. He has since arguably been their best player, bringing in a level of consistency rarely seen.
Salah has won one Champions League title, one Premier League title, one FA Cup and one Carabao Cup with Liverpool. He has been a prolific goalscorer for them and in the summer of 2022, the Merseysiders handed him a lucrative three-year deal.
As per the terms of the new contract, Salah takes home £350,000 per week in wages.
#4 Franck Kessie (Ivory Coast/Al Ahli) - £354,000 per week
It wasn't long ago that Franck Kessie established himself as a force to be reckoned with at the base of the AC Milan midfield. The Ivory Coast international's technical qualities, game intelligence and sheer physicality helped him dominate proceedings in midfield.
He played a crucial role in the Rossoneri's Serie A title win in the 2021-22 season. However, Kessie chose to not renew his contract with the Italian giants and instead sought an ill-advised move to Barcelona.
While a move to Camp Nou was initially perceived as a step up for Kessie, it soon became apparent that he was going to struggle to secure a place in the starting XI. The 26-year-old has now joined Saudi Pro League outfit Al Ahli. He has signed a three-year deal which sees him earn £354,000 per week in wages.
#3 Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal/Al Hilal) - £412,000 per week
Kalidou Koulibaly was linked with a transfer to the Premier League for a long time before he eventually joined Chelsea last summer on a deal worth €38 million. But having already turned 30 by then, Koulibaly was past his prime and endured an extremely disappointing debut campaign in the Premier League.
He has now copped a switch to Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal. Although he is not the player he used to be in his prime, Koulibaly could outmuscle and outwit the opponents he will face in the Pro League. He earns £412,000 per week in wages at his new club.
#2 Riyad Mahrez (Algeria/Al Ahli) - £481,000 per week
Riyad Mahrez is one of the best wingers of the last decade. The Algeria international is a joy to watch on the football field thanks to his excellent dribbling skills and creativity. He was one of Leicester City's standout performers in their epic Premier League triumph in the 2015-16 season.
Mahrez also had a wonderful stint at Manchester City and won one Champions League title, four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and three League Cups. The 32-year-old has now joined Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ahli on a four-year contract. Mahrez earns a whopping £481,000 per week in wages.
#1 Sadio Mane (Senegal/Al-Nassr) - £661,000 per week
CAF Player of the 2022, Sadio Mane, is one of the top-earning footballers on the planet right now. After a disappointing debut campaign at Bayern Munich, it looked like Mane would be on his way out after just one season in the Bundesliga.
That's exactly how it played out as well. Bayern Munich recouped almost the entire amount they paid to secure Mane's services from Liverpool in the summer of 2022 as they sold him to Al-Nassr on a deal worth €32 million.
Mane has signed an extremely lucrative four-year deal with Al-Nasssr and he pockets £661,000 per week in wages.
