African football players over the years have featured in different competitions across the globe both at national and international levels.
However, their price tag in the transfer market do not usually fly like their counterparts in Europe, America, and Asia.
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Recently, many African players have halted this spell as they are now breaking transfer records of clubs in the European top-flight leagues.
The following are the most expensive African players in the game:
8. Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
The current English Premier League champions, Liverpool, signed the Senegalese forward from Southampton in 2016 for a fee of £35M on a five-year deal.
The signing made Mane became the most expensive African player in history, with his transfer surpassing the price Manchester City paid for Wilfried Bony (£28m) from Swansea City in January 2015.
7. Mohamed Salah (Egypt)
Liverpool also signed Mohamed Salah from Roma for a record fee worth £44M.
The 25-year-old Egyptian forward had an impressive display in Serie A with 29 goals in 65 appearances for Roma before signing for Jürgen Klopp’s side in 2017.
6. Victor Osimhen (Nigeria)
The Nigerian Super Eagle forward, Victor Osimhen, signed for Serie A side, Napoli, from French outfit, Lille, the two clubs announced on 31st July 2020.
The transfer fee is said to be worth £45M.
Even though neither club officially gave details of the transfer, a source from Lille, who is familiar with the transfer, told AFP that the Ligue 1 team would receive 70 million euros ($82.8 million) with add-ons potentially worth 10 million euros.
5. Naby Keita (Guinea)
In 2018, Liverpool unveiled Naby Keita, after agreeing on a five-year deal to sign him from German side, RB Leipzig.
Liverpool signed Keita for £53M, making him their second most expensive player, behind the £75 million paid for Virgil van Dijk.
4. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon)
Arsenal’s signing of Gabonese star man, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, from Borussia Dortmund for a club-record fee, understood to be £56m made him one of the most expensive African players in the game.
Arsenal announced his signing on their official website in 2018.
3. Riyad Mahrez (Algeria)
In July 2018, Manchester City announced the signing of Mahrez on a five-year contract.
The transfer fee of £60m made Mahrez the most expensive African footballer, and also Manchester City’s most expensive signing and a record transfer fee received by Leicester City.
2. Cedric Bakambu (DR Congo)
In 2018, Chinese outfit, Beijing Guoan, announced the signing of a 26-year-old DR Congo’s player Cedric Bakambu on a four-year deal.
The Chinese Super League side completed an unbelievable African-record move to sign the Villarreal forward Cedric Bakambu for £65m.
1. Nicolas Pepe (Ivory Coast)
In the top chart of Africa’s most expensive players come Ivory Coast winger, Nicolas Pepe, who signed for Arsenal from Lille for a club-record fee of £72m.
The 24-year-old, who signed a five-year contract with the Gunners in 2019, scored 35 goals in 74 Ligue 1 appearances for Lille, who he joined from Angers in 2017.
