Nigerian footballers have come a long way from the days when European clubs viewed African talent as bargain options. In 2025, the Super Eagles’ top earners command salaries that would make even seasoned Premier League veterans raise an eyebrow. But one name stands head and shoulders above the rest, and the gap isn’t even close.
Victor Osimhen sits comfortably at the summit of Nigerian football’s earnings ladder. His €15 million net annual salary at Galatasaray doesn’t just make him the highest-paid Nigerian footballer in 2025—it crowns him as Turkish football’s most expensive signing in history. The 26-year-old striker earns roughly €288,000 per week, a figure that dwarfs every other Nigerian international’s paycheck. To put this in perspective, the nearest competitor earns less than half of Osimhen’s salary.
Victor Osimhen
| Current Club | Annual Salary | Key Achievements |
|---|---|---|
| Galatasaray | €15 million (net) | 2022-23 Serie A top scorer, 2023 African Footballer of the Year, Serie A champion with Napoli, 2024-25 Turkish Super Lig & Cup winner, 8th place Ballon d’Or 2023 |
Born in Lagos on December 29, 1998, he grew up in Olusosun, one of the city’s poorest neighbourhoods. His childhood was marked by genuine hardship; he hawked sachet water on scorching streets to help his family survive. His father lost his job as a civil servant, and his mother passed away when Victor was still young. Football wasn’t just a dream for the youngest of six children; it was the only viable escape route from poverty.
After impressing at Ultimate Strikers Academy in Lagos, Osimhen caught the attention of Nigeria’s U-17 coaches. He needed just 15 minutes at trials to score three goals and secure his spot. His professional career officially kicked off with VfL Wolfsburg in 2017, though it wasn’t smooth sailing initially. He struggled with injuries and malaria in Germany, failing to score in 16 appearances across two seasons.
The turning point came at Charleroi in Belgium, where a loan spell in 2018 saw him explode with 20 goals in 36 matches. Lille snatched him up for €12 million in 2019, and Osimhen rewarded their faith with 18 goals in his debut season. That performance attracted Napoli, who paid a club-record €70 million for his services in July 2020.
What followed was nothing short of spectacular. Despite suffering a horrific facial injury in November 2021 that required titanium plates in his skull, Osimhen returned stronger than ever. The 2022-23 season became his masterpiece—26 Serie A goals, the Capocannoniere trophy as the league’s top scorer, and Napoli’s first Serie A title in 33 years. He became the first African to win Italy’s golden boot and earned the 2023 African Footballer of the Year award, making him the first Nigerian since Nwankwo Kanu in 1999 to claim that honour.
His loan season at Galatasaray in 2024-25 proved equally dominant. Osimhen shattered Mario Jardel’s 24-year-old record by scoring 35 goals in 39 matches, the most ever by a foreign player in Turkish football. He collected the Super Lig Golden Boot, league and Turkish Cup winners’ medals, and convinced Galatasaray to make the deal permanent. On July 31, 2025, the Turkish giants signed him to a four-year contract through 2029 for a record €75 million transfer fee.
His complete compensation package extends beyond the base salary. Osimhen receives an additional €1 million loyalty bonus annually plus €5 million in image rights payments, bringing his total annual earnings to over €21 million. Combined with endorsement deals with Adidas, Pepsi Nigeria, Dettol, and Turkish brands such as Nissan Türkiye, his estimated net worth has climbed to between $25 million and $30 million.
Osimhen earns more than Boniface and Iwobi combined. His weekly wages of €288,000 exceed what several top Nigerian internationals earn in an entire month.
Victor Boniface
| Current Club | Annual Salary | Key Achievements |
|---|---|---|
| Bayer Leverkusen | €6 million | 2023-24 Bundesliga champion, 14 goals in debut Bundesliga season |
Boniface sits in second place among Nigerian earners, though his €6 million annual salary represents less than half of Osimhen’s earnings. The Bayer Leverkusen striker signed a four-year contract extension in January 2025 that reportedly doubled his previous wages. His breakout 2023-24 campaign, during which he helped Leverkusen clinch their first-ever Bundesliga title, justified the substantial pay raise. At 24 years old, Boniface’s trajectory suggests his earning potential will continue climbing.
Alex Iwobi
| Current Club | Annual Salary | Key Achievements |
|---|---|---|
| Fulham | £4.16 million ($5.6M) | Over 100 Premier League appearances, 2023 AFCON bronze medalist |
Iwobi’s move from Everton to Fulham in 2023 came with a five-year contract worth approximately £4.16 million annually. The versatile midfielder has become a crucial part of Fulham’s Premier League setup, justifying his status as one of the division’s better-compensated Nigerian players. His ability to play multiple positions adds value that directly translates into his paycheck.
Samuel Chukwueze
| Current Club | Annual Salary | Key Achievements |
|---|---|---|
| AC Milan | $5.4 million | La Liga winner with Villarreal, UEFA Conference League runner-up |
Chukwueze’s 2023 transfer from Villarreal to AC Milan brought a substantial salary bump. The pacey winger earns roughly $5.4 million per year at the Italian giants, reflecting both his talent and Milan’s investment in securing his services. His performances in Spain’s La Liga convinced one of Europe’s historic clubs to make him a priority signing.
Other Notable Earners
Kelechi Iheanacho (Sevilla, on loan at Middlesbrough) pulls in approximately €4.4 million annually after his 2024 move to the Spanish side. Wilfred Ndidi transitioned from Leicester City to Besiktas in late 2024, with reports suggesting his Turkish contract pays around €3.5 million per year, slightly below his previous wages at Leicester of roughly $5.05 million. Joe Aribo at Southampton earns approximately $4.66 million annually, a reflection of his 2022 move from Rangers. Taiwo Awoniyi secured roughly $3.37 million per year at Nottingham Forest, while Calvin Bassey’s 2023 transfer from Ajax to Fulham carried annual wages of approximately $2.98 million.
Several recent deals reshaped the Nigerian salary landscape. Boniface’s January 2025 extension at Leverkusen is the most significant move behind Osimhen’s permanent transfer. German media confirmed the deal doubled his wages, from roughly €3 million to €6 million annually, in recognition of his role in Leverkusen’s historic Bundesliga triumph.
What’s clear is that Nigerian footballers have firmly established themselves in Europe’s highest wage brackets.
