African Stars Leading the Premier League’s Financial Revolution
African footballers are no longer just colouring the Premier League. They are driving it – and being paid like it.
A new set of reported salary estimates, published on Wednesday by MSN, underlines just how far the continent’s leading lights have climbed in England’s financial hierarchy. From Manchester to north London and the north-east, African players now sit on some of the most lucrative contracts in the division.
And at the very top of that list stands an Egyptian in sky blue.
Marmoush out in front
Omar Marmoush has surged to the head of the earnings table, with the Manchester City forward reportedly on a staggering £295,000 per week.
City moved for the Egyptian in January 2025 after his impressive spell at Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga, and his contract reflects that reputation. His wage packet is almost double the £150,000 bracket that houses the next tier of African stars, placing him among the Premier League’s most handsomely rewarded players from the continent.
The message is clear: at the Etihad, Marmoush is not just another squad option. He is paid like a centrepiece.
The £150,000 club
Just below Marmoush, a cluster of African attackers have broken into the £150,000-per-week range, a figure that once felt reserved for only the very biggest global names.
Bryan Mbeumo has made that jump. The Cameroon international, now at Manchester United after his move from Brentford, is reported to earn £150,000 a week. His rise from west London to Old Trafford has mirrored his national-team status, as he has become one of Cameroon’s standout forwards on English soil.
Sharing that pay bracket is Antoine Semenyo. The Ghanaian forward, whose development in English football has been rapid and eye-catching, now wears Manchester City colours and is also understood to be on £150,000 per week. His move to the Etihad has turned steady progress into a full-scale breakthrough.
Mohammed Kudus completes the trio at that level. The Ghanaian attacking midfielder, now with Tottenham Hotspur, is likewise reported to earn £150,000 a week. After making his name at West Ham United, Kudus has grown into one of Africa’s most prominent Premier League performers, his creative influence matched by a contract that reflects his status.
Wissa, Mazraoui and the defensive earners
Just below that top band, Yoane Wissa has carved out his own place among the elite. The DR Congo international, now at Newcastle United, is reportedly on around £140,000 per week. His consistent attacking presence in the league has pushed him into the upper tier of African earners in England.
At Manchester United, Noussair Mazraoui represents the defensive side of Africa’s financial rise. The Moroccan full-back is reported to be on £135,000 per week, a figure that places him among the highest-paid African defenders in the Premier League and underlines United’s investment in his role.
Young, gifted and well paid
The next band features a pair of emerging names whose wages speak to both current impact and future expectation.
Amad Diallo, the Ivorian winger at Manchester United, is estimated to earn £120,000 per week. That level of pay puts the Ivory Coast international among the better-paid African players at Old Trafford and signals the club’s belief in his long-term value.
On the blue side of Manchester, Rayan Aït-Nouri is reported to be on the same £120,000-a-week mark. The Algerian full-back’s move to City has not only strengthened Pep Guardiola’s options but also increased African representation at one of England’s dominant clubs, with his salary underlining the significance of that transfer.
Baleba and Iwobi: the next tier of influence
Further down the scale, but still in enviable territory, sits Carlos Baleba. The Cameroon midfielder is reportedly set to earn around £90,000 per week after completing his move to Manchester United from Brighton & Hove Albion.
At 22, and after three seasons at Brighton following his 2023 switch from Lille, Baleba has stepped into a far brighter spotlight at Old Trafford. His wage may trail some of the more established African stars, yet it still places him firmly among the better-paid young African players in the division.
Alex Iwobi rounds out the list. The Nigerian midfielder is estimated to earn around £80,000 per week at Fulham, which translates to roughly £4.16 million per year before bonuses. Since arriving from Everton in September 2023, Iwobi has remained one of Nigeria’s most visible and reliable Premier League figures, carrying both responsibility and profile in west London.
A continent’s clout, counted in pounds
Taken together, these reported figures sketch a clear picture: African footballers now occupy central, well-paid roles at some of the Premier League’s biggest clubs. From City’s title-chasing machine to United’s rebuilding project, from Tottenham’s attacking reshuffle to Newcastle’s ambitious push, the continent’s talent is deeply woven into the league’s fabric.
The money tells its own story. The question now is how far this new generation of African stars will push their clubs – and how much higher those numbers can climb as their influence grows.
