Top Ten Highest Paid Nigerian Professional Footballers : Mikel 3rd, Iheanacho 6th, Enyeama 9th

It is a foregone conclusion that former Watford striker Odion Ighalo is the top earning Nigerian professional footballer, with guaranteed wages of more than €12.1 million per season.

Allnigeriasoccer.com can exclusively report Martins’ reign as the best paid Nigerian player lasted less than one month after Ighalo joined Changchun Yatai F.C on a 4+1 year deal at the end of January.

If agency commission is not included in the mix, the former Inter Milan and Newcastle frontman takes home €8.4 million in the new deal he signed with Shanghai Shenhua at the end of the 2016 season.

Nigeria captain John Obi Mikel will pocket approximately €8.4 million gross in his first season with Tianjin Teda.

The top four earning Nigerian players are all based in China, with Liaoning Whowin striker Anthony Ujah fourth on the list with a pay packet of €5.6 million per season.

In his first season in China, the ex-Cologne and Werder Bremen star pocketed €4.7 million.

Super Eagles assistant captain Ahmed Musa is Nigeria’s highest earner in England, with 70,000 pounds per week wages, 14,000 pounds more than Manchester City talent Kelechi Iheanacho.

At 1 million euros wages per season, Trabzonspor midfielder Eddy Onazi is collecting three times his wages at Lazio but he is not the best paid Nigerian player in Turkey, with out-of-favour Fenerbahce striker Emmanuel Emenike earning €2.5 million.

Yearly Wages - Top Ten Highest Paid Nigerian Professional Footballers

1) Odion Ighalo - Changchun Yatai - €12.1 million
2) Obafemi Martins- Shanghai Shenhua - €8.4 million
3) Obi Mikel - Tianjin Teda - €8.4 million
4) Anthony Ujah - Liaoning Whowin - €5.6 million
5) Ahmed Musa - Leicester City - €4.2 million
6) Kelechi Iheanacho - Man City - €3.4 million
7) Victor Moses - Chelsea - €3.0 million
8) Emmanuel Emenike - Fenerbahce - €2.5 million
9) Vincent Enyeama - Lille - €1.8 million
10) Alex Iwobi - Arsenal - €1.8 million

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

Photo Credit : lcfc.com