Football is a lucrative business.
With more African players entering big teams in the Premier League, Bundesliga and Europa League, some have become millionaires. Here are a few of them … in no particular order.
Apparently Drogba has a net worth of £21 million (US$33m) as reported by the the Sunday Times Rich List in 2012. Drogba was a top earner when he left Chelsea for Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua, earning a reported £190,000 a week. The Côte d’Ivoirian plays for Montreal Impact now. When he’s not kicking about, you can catch him chilling with fellow top earner Emmanuel Adebayor.
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The Togolese player has made a comeback signing with Crystal Palace in 2016. His total net-worth was valued at £16 million in 2014 and with his return perhaps he’ll be moving up the list. Adebayor was earning £170,000-a-week despite not making any appearances on the pitch for Spurs or Manchester City in 2015. Easy work if you can get it. And it meant Emmanuel had plenty of time to relax on his immense sofa.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BBXsjqeP5iX/?taken-by=e_adebayor
Eto’o has played for many of the big guns of football; from England’s Chelsea, Russia’s FC Anzhi and Spain’s Barcelona. He became the top-earning footballer at the time when he signed to Anzhi Makhachkala in 2011, earning €20.5 million after taxes per season. The Cameroonian footballer now plays for Turkish club Antalyaspor. Despite all this Samuel isn’t averse to a quick bite at Burger King – he’s simply royalty.
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Manchester City player Yaya Touré is one of the highest-paid players in history. He earns reportedly £240,000 a week, after signing a five-year deal valued at £55.6 million with Man City. Since signing to the team the Ivorian has earned over £30 million. Yaya has plenty of thanks (18 seconds in total):
Thanks for your support guys! Very proud to be BBC African Footballer of the Year. 🙌🏾 pic.twitter.com/d5Oaz1v3wp
— Yaya Touré (@YayaToure) December 11, 2015
The Gabon and Borussia Dortmund player’s market-value has sky-rocketed with Arsenal apparently wanting to buy him for an astounding £60 million. Pierre-Emerick reportedly earns about £80,000 a week but he’s in such demand, that’s likely to rise throughout his career. He must be thankful to his father (on the left) for the skills.
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Gyan hot stepped it from Emirati champions Al Ain to Shanghai SIPG in July last year. Small surprise as the captain of the Black Stars now be earning £227,000 per week, according to the Daily Mirror. He’s apparently the eighth highest-paid footballer in the world (and the highest-paid African).
All that gold could not keep him in the UAE.
https://www.instagram.com/p/3mHOh7OqS8/?taken-by=asamoah_gyan3