African Stars Shine in Premier League's Big-Money Era

African stars at the heart of the Premier League’s big-money era

The money tells its own story. So does the passport. African footballers are not just lighting up the Premier League – they are sitting on some of its heaviest wage packets.

A salary list published by MSN this week underlines the scale of that influence, with players from Egypt, Ghana, Cameroon, Morocco, Ivory Coast, DR Congo, Algeria and Nigeria all among the best-paid in England’s top flight.

And one name stands well clear of the rest.

Marmoush sets a new benchmark

Omar Marmoush has gone straight to the summit. The Egyptian forward, now at Manchester City after a January 2025 move from Eintracht Frankfurt, is reportedly earning £295,000 per week.

That figure does more than turn heads. It almost doubles the £150,000 bracket occupied by the next group of leading African earners and places Marmoush firmly among the Premier League’s financial elite.

His rise from the Bundesliga to a starring role at the Etihad has become a reference point for African talent targeting the very top of the European game.

The £150k chasing pack

Behind Marmoush, a powerful cluster of attackers sit on reported wages of £150,000 per week – and they are spread across some of England’s biggest clubs.

Bryan Mbeumo, the Cameroon international, has climbed from Brentford to Manchester United and into that pay band. At Old Trafford he has grown into one of his country’s most influential forwards in the division.

Antoine Semenyo shares that reported wage at Manchester City. The Ghanaian’s sharp progression in English football has pushed his value up rapidly, ending with a high-profile switch to the champions and a salary that reflects his new status.

Another Ghanaian, Mohammed Kudus, is also in the £150,000-a-week bracket at Tottenham Hotspur. After making his name at West Ham United, the attacking midfielder has become one of Africa’s standout figures in the Premier League, his contract mirroring his impact.

Wissa, Mazraoui and the defensive money

Just below that top tier sits Yoane Wissa. The DR Congo forward, now at Newcastle United, is reportedly on around £140,000 per week. His consistent threat in attack has kept him among the continent’s best-rewarded players in England.

At Manchester United, Noussair Mazraoui represents the defensive end of Africa’s earning power. The Moroccan full-back is understood to be on £135,000 per week, a figure that places him among the Premier League’s highest-paid African defenders and underlines the premium on modern, versatile full-backs.

Young wings, rising wages

The numbers are not only for established stars.

At Old Trafford, Amad Diallo is estimated to earn £120,000 per week. The Ivorian winger’s deal reflects United’s faith in his potential and secures him a place among the better-paid African players at the club.

Across Manchester, Rayan Aït-Nouri is reportedly on the same £120,000 weekly wage at City. The Algerian full-back’s move to the Etihad has strengthened Pep Guardiola’s options and further boosted African representation at one of Europe’s most powerful sides.

Baleba and Iwobi underline the depth

Further down the scale, but still in serious money, Carlos Baleba’s rise has taken him from Lille to Brighton & Hove Albion and now to Manchester United. The Cameroon midfielder, 22, is reportedly set to earn around £90,000 per week at Old Trafford after three seasons on the south coast. He may sit below the headline African earners, yet his deal still places him among the better-paid young African players in the league.

Then there is Alex Iwobi at Fulham. The Nigerian midfielder is estimated to be on around £80,000 per week, which equates to roughly £4.16 million per year before bonuses. Since his move from Everton in September 2023, he has remained one of Nigeria’s most prominent Premier League figures and a key part of Fulham’s plans.

A continent counting in millions

Taken together, the reported salaries sketch a clear picture: African footballers are not just filling squads; they are commanding major contracts at the sharp end of the Premier League.

From Marmoush’s near-£300,000 weekly wage at Manchester City to Iwobi’s steady earnings at Fulham, the financial clout attached to African talent has never been more obvious.

The question now is not whether players from the continent belong among England’s best-paid – it is which rising star will be the next to smash through the ceiling.