PUNCH Sports Extra’s JOHNNY EDWARD writes on how much the country’s biggest footballers in Europe’s major leagues earn
ITALY
Victor Osimhen (Napoli)
The 23-year-old striker reportedly takes home £125,000 (N63.6m) per-week at the Naples based outfit. The former Lille striker is also the fifth most paid at Napoli and the 24th highest paid in Italy.
Ola Aina (Torino)
Aina earns £31,000 (N26.6m) weekly and he is the 15th most paid player at Torino. He also has a bank balance to match his talent, with a cool £3m in the bank.
Isaac Success (Udinese)
Forgotten Eagles striker, Success, returned to Italy to salvage his career at Udinese and in doing that he added more cash to his bank account.
The 26-year-old now earns £34,403.29 (N17.5m) at the Italian club. During his unimpressive spell at former club Watford, which was plagued by injuries, the Nigerian earned £30,003.29 per- week. He is currently the second highest earner at Udinese, after Gerard Deuloufoe.
ENGLAND
Iheanacho, Ndidi, Lookman (Leicester City)
Forward Kelechi Iheanacho is the seventh highest earner at Leicester City.
The 25-year-old has an annual salary of £5.2m and takes home £90,000 (N46m) weekly, according to a data report on Salarysports.com.
His compatriot Wilfred Ndidi is placed 14th in the Foxes’ top earners ranking with £85,000 per week.
Iheanacho and Ndidi have two years left on their current deals. Also, Ademola Lookman, who played on loan at the King Power stadium last season, earns £57,000 (N30m) weekly.
Alex Iwobi (Everton)
The revitalised Iwobi, who emerged as a prominent figure for Frank Lampard in the Toffees survival battle last season, is the seventh highest earner at Goodison Park after Yerry Mina, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Allan, Andre Gomes, Jordan Pickford and Richarlison. The midfielder earns £110k (N57m) every week.
Frank Onyeka (Brentford)
Despite joining the Bees for £9m from Midtjylland last summer, a record deal at that time, Onyeka is the fourth highest earner at the club. The 24-year-old takes home £35,000 (about N18m) every week.
Etebo, Dennis, Troost-Ekong (Watford)
Etebo, whose loan spell at Vicarage Road was blighted with injuries, raked in £32,173.60 (N16.5m) every week during his spell at the club.
The midfielder, who scored a sublime free-kick in the Eagles’ recent 10-0 annihilation of Sao Tome, is the 15th highest earner in the Hornets camp. Emmanuel Dennis and William Troost-Ekong are placed 17th and 21st respectively.
Dennis, who bagged 10 goals and six assists in 33 Premier League games for Watford last season, earns £30,000 (N15m), while Troost-Ekong is the lowest Eagles’ earner in the Premier League with a weekly salary of £22,000 (N11m).
GERMANY
Taiwo Awoniyi (Union Berlin)
After joining Union Berlin on a permanent basis from Liverpool last season for £6.5m, Awoniyi became the club’s top earner with £35,000 (N18m).
The 24-year-old striker ended the season as Union Berlin’s top scorer with 20 goals – a feat that earned the team a fifth-place finish in the 2021/22 Bundesliga season, their highest-ever in their history.
SPAIN
Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal)
Chukwueze is ranked 20th in the top earners list at Villarreal. The Nigerian winger earns £24,000 every week, approximately £13m.
FRANCE
Since Moses (Nantes)
Simon agreed to make his move at Nantes permanent in 2020, signing a four-year contract, and the 26-year-old moved to the top of the players earning list. The Canaries’ 2019-20 Player of The Year earns £31,000 every week at Nantes. He is the third Nigerian to feature for Nantes after Samson Siasia (1993-1995) and Chidozie Awaziem (2017-2018).
