African footballers have become some of the most sought-after talents in world football, commanding record-breaking transfer fees and earning places among the game's elite.

 

 

 

 

Historically, African players faced challenges in gaining recognition on the world stage, but over the past two decades, their undeniable talent, resilience, and charisma have shattered barriers.

From the bustling streets of Lagos to the academies of Abidjan and Casablanca, Africa continues to produce exceptional players who excel in prominent leagues across the world.

Their contributions not only uplift their clubs but also inspire millions back home. Players like George Weah, who won the Ballon d’or in 1995, Samuel Eto’o, Yaya Toure and Austin Okocha paved the way, showing the world that African footballers could dominate the biggest stages.

Today, transfer fees for African players have skyrocketed, reflecting their immense value and impact. The rise in investment in African football talent isn’t just about skills, but also about marketability, as a result of their work ethic, and the ability to shine under pressure.

These days, clubs aren’t just buying players, they’re securing leaders, injury resisters, game-changers and above all, profiles suited to their style of play.

In this article, we’ll explore the all-time most expensive African footballers, examining their transfers, the clubs they represented, and how they fared in the club that splashed the cash to secure their services.

Top 10 All-time most expensive African footballers

1. Nicolas Pépé – Lille to Arsenal in 2019 for €80 Million

 

 

 

Ivorian winger Nicolas Pépé moved from French club Lille OSC to Arsenal for a club-record fee of €80 million in the summer of 2019, making him the most expensive African footballer of all-time.

Pépé led exceptional second and final season with the Ligue 1 club, where he scored 23 goals and assisted 11 others across all competitions in the 2018-2019 season, winning the Best African Player in Ligue 1 award and earning himself attention from top European clubs.

He eventually sealed a move to Arsenal in August for a club record fee. In one of his rare highlights at the club, Pépé scored a brace of free-kicks off the bench in a UEFA Europa League game, helping the club seal a 3-2 comeback win over Vitoria Guimaraes in the Emirates.

Unfortunately, things did not go too well in North London. Pépé scored 27 goals and set up 21 others in 112 Arsenal appearance across all competitions, winning one Emirates FA Cup and a Community Shield title before leaving permanently in the summer of 2023.

Unai Emery, who was Arsenal boss at the time of his signing later revealed in an interview that he requested the signing of Pépé’s countryman Wilfred Zaha from the club and it wasn’t with his consent that the former was signed.

2. Victor Osimhen – Lille to Napoli in 2020 for €70 Million

 

 

 

A year after seeing to the sale of Nicolas Pépé in a record fee, Lille was again involved in another big money move as Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen left the club to join Italian side, Napoli.

In a deal of €70 million, potentially rising with add-ons, Osimhen, highly rated for his pace, strength, and goal-scoring abilities, spent one spectacular season with Lille, scoring 18 times and assisting five others in 38 games across all competition.

Just like Pépé, Osimhen also won the Best African Player in Ligue 1 award having finished the 2019-20 season with 17 goal involvement in 27 games in the competition.

Despite battling injuries in his early years in Italy, Osimhen went on to had an exceptional time with Gli Azzurri, winning the club their first Ligue 1 title in 33 years in 2022-23 while also leading them to a first-ever UEFA Champions League quarter-final spot.

Individually, Osimhen surpassed the feat of George Weah, setting a new record as the highest scoring African in Serie A history with 65 goals, 19 more than the Liberian and 1995 Ballon d’or winner.

He broke Samuel Etoo’o’s record as African with the most goals in a single Serie A season, won the top scorer and player of the season awards in the competition, adding those to the young player award he won in 2022.

To wrap it up, Osimhen won the most prestigious individual accolade in African football with the CAF Men’s Player of the Year award in 2023. Unfortunately, his relationship deteriorated less than a year later, and he joined Galatasary on a season long loan in the summer of 2024.

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3. Riyad Mahrez – Leicester City to Manchester City in 2017 for €68 Million

 

 

 

 

After leading Leicester City to the Premier League title in a remarkable fairytale story in 2015-16, Algerian winger Riyad Mahrez joined Manchester City a season later, in July 2018 for £60 million, becoming the most expensive African player at that time.

Mahrez went on to become a major part of Pep Guardiola's set-up that dominated the English top-flight, winning eleven titles, which include four Premier League and the club’s first-ever UEFA Champions League title.

In his five years with the Citizens, Mahrez made 236 appearances, scored 78 goals, and assisted 48, taking his goal involvement under Pep Guardiola to 126.

He left the club as its legend in the summer of 2023, signing a four-year contract with Saudi club Al-Ahli following an agreement of a fee of £60 with the English club.

4. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – Borussia Dortmund to Arsenal in 2018 for approximately €63 Million

 

 

 

Gabonese forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang moved from Borussia Dortmund to Arsenal in January 2018 for a fee of £56 million, making him one of the most expensive African players of all time.

The striker hit the ground running in Arsene Wenger’s latter days at the club, finishing the second half of the campaign with 14 goal contributions in as many appearances, all of which came in 13 league appearances.

Aubameyang won the Premier League top scorer award in his first full season and missed out on the prize by a lone goal in the following season, although he led the club to the Emirates FA Cup title that year, scoring a brace against Manchester City in the semifinal and another brace in the 2-1 win over Chelsea in the final.

He also led Arteta’s charge to the Community Shield title at the start of the following season, before things started to go downhill for him at the club, a few weeks after signing a massive contract extension.

Many believes the reason for the awful turnaround for Auba at Arsenal was as a result of his attitude, though the player has tried to plead innocent in interviews.

Following his departure from Arsenal as a result of contract termination in January 2022, Aubameyang has had stints at Barcelona, Chelsea and Marseille, where he won the Best African Player in Ligue 1 award for the second time, before joining Saudi club Al-Qadsiah on a two-year deal in the summer of 2024.

5. Achraf Hakimi – Inter Milan to PSG Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 for €60 Million

 

 

 

Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi joined Paris Saint-Germain from Inter Milan in July 2021 for a fee of €60 million, ranking him as one of the most expensive African players ever.

The right-back, known for his versatility and attacking contributions, has quickly become a crucial part of PSG's lineup set-up, thriving under different managers from Mauricio Pochettino to Christopher Galtier and now Luis Enrique.

In his fourth season at the club, Hakimi is closing in on 150 appearances for Les Parisiens. He has scored 17 goals, set up 25 others, won six titles.

He has twice featured in the Ligue 1 team of the year and once in FIFA FIFPRO World 11. Hakimi has also twice come close to winning the CAF Men’s Player of the year award.

6. Naby Keita – RB Leipzig to Liverpool in 2018 for €60 Million

 

 

 

Liverpool triggered the release clause of Guinean midfielder Naby Keita at Red Bull club, Leipzig in 2017 before he eventually moved to Anfield in the summer 2018.

The German club received a total of €60 million from the deal and the much anticipated man was given the No.8 shirt formerly used by club legend, Steven Gerrard. Unfortunately, he did not go on to lead a marching success individually.

Though Keita won seven silverwares at Liverpool, he was never consistent, due to battles with injuries and poor form. His time at the club came to an end at the expiration of his five-year contract. He featured 129 times for the club, scoring eleven goals.

He joined Bremen in 2023 and failed to impress due to his attitude and persistent injuries. He was loaned out to Hungarian club Ferencvaros at the start of the 2024-25 campaign.

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7. Mohamed Salah – AS Roma to Liverpool in 2017 for €42 Million

 

 

 

Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah moved from AS Roma to Liverpool in June 2017 for an initial fee of €42 million, with the fee eventually rising to €50 million due to his brilliant start to life in the UK.

Salah has been a standout performer for Liverpool, breaking numerous goal-scoring records and earning multiple individual accolades, including three Premier League top scorer award and one best playmaker awards.

The former Fiorentina man has won the Premier League player of the season once and two CAF Men’s Best Player awards. He has six Premier League Player of the Month awards and is the highest scoring African in the competition, as well as the UEFA Champions League.

He has led the club to their first Premier League title and their sixth UEFA Champions League title, one FA Cup and two Carabao Cup titles, and with the season they’re having in 2024-25, there could be so much goods to come.

Salah, during his time at Liverpool has won several individual awards, and has assumed a status as one of the all-time best players in Premier League history, playing his way into the top ten in the all-time list for both goals and assists.

His move to Anfield has been good to him and to the club. With 229 goals, 103 assists in 373 games so far, Salah is closing in on the all-time record at Liverpool and has surely earned himself a legendary status. His name will forever be remembered as one of the all-time greatest players in the club’s history.

8. Sadio Mané – Southampton to Liverpool in 2016 for approximately €41 Million

 

 

 

When Senegalese forward Sadio Mané joined Liverpool from Southampton in June 2016, it was for €41 million, making him the most expensive African player at that time.

Mané played a pivotal role in Liverpool's turn of fortune as Jürgen Klopp turned doubters into believers in Merseyside. He won the Premier League and UEFA Champions League titles amongst others, totaling six silverwares.

Renowned for his speed, pressing, and goal-scoring capabilities, Mane thrived in the red and white of Liverpool, with 120 goals and 42 assists in 269 games across all competitions, he is considered a club legend, one so much admired by The Kop.

9. Hakim Ziyech – Ajax to Chelsea in 2020 for €40 Million

 

 

 

 

After four successful seasons at Ajax, Moroccan winger Hakim Ziyech joined English club Chelsea in a 40 million euros deal in 2020 as one of the many players brought in by the Londoners as part of a rebuild.

Chelsea also spent big on stars like Kai Havertz from Bayer Leverkusen, Timo Werner from RB Leipzig, Ben Chilwell from Leicester City, and Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy from French club Stade de Rennais.

Ziyech won the UEFA Champions League title in his first season at Chelsea, although, he did not live up to expectation in West London. In 107 games, he scored 14 goals and assisted 13 before his loan move to Galatasary in 2023 after a proposed move to PSG failed.

The Moroccan has sealed a permanent move to the Turkish giants, whom he currently represents.

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10. Cedric Bakambu – Villarreal to Beijing Guoan in 2018 for around €40 Million

 

 

 

Congolese striker Cedric Bakambu moved from Villarreal to Beijing Guoan in February 2018 for €40 million, making him one of the most expensive African players.

Bakambu's transfer to the Chinese Super League was notable for its high fee and his goal-scoring record in Europe. He was able to replicate his deadly form for the club, scoring 58 times and setting up 21 others in 87 games across all competition, while also picking up the Super League top scorer award in 2020.

His spell at the club came to an end after four years in 2022, when he returned to Europe, joining Olympic Marseille, then Greek club Olympiacos Piraeus. He then returned to Asia with Al-Nassr in 2023.

Bakambu now plays for Real Betis, whom he joined in the summer of 2024, signing a two-and-a-half-year deal after leaving Galatasaray.