Ranking based on estimated annual salaries from European club contracts and publicly available salary databases.
1. Victor Osimhen — GalatasarayEstimated salary: about €10–15 million per year.Following a permanent transfer from Napoli in 2025, the striker signed a lucrative deal worth roughly €15 million annually excluding bonuses and image-rights payments, placing him firmly at the top of Nigeria’s earnings chart.
2. Victor Boniface — Bayer LeverkusenEstimated salary: about €6–6.5 million per year.After helping Leverkusen win the Bundesliga, Boniface secured a contract extension that significantly increased his wages.
3. Samuel Chukwueze — AC MilanEstimated salary: about €5–5.1 million per year.The winger remains one of the highest-earning Nigerian players in Serie A following his transfer from Villarreal.
4. Alex Iwobi — FulhamEstimated salary: about £4–4.3 million per year.A key midfielder for Fulham in the English Premier League and among the club’s top earners.
5. Wilfred Ndidi — Leicester City / Besiktas (later move)Estimated salary: about £3.9 million (around $5 million) annually.A long-standing midfield anchor whose contract extension kept him among Nigeria’s top earners.
6. Kelechi Iheanacho — Sevilla / loan spellsEstimated salary: about £3.9 million annually.His previous Premier League-level contract continues to keep his wages high even during loan moves.
7. Joe Aribo — SouthamptonEstimated salary: about £3.6 million per year.The midfielder remains among the highest-paid Nigerian players despite Southampton’s fluctuating league status.
8. Taiwo Awoniyi — Nottingham ForestEstimated salary: about $3.2 million per year.A leading striker for Forest with a contract reflecting his role in the Premier League squad.
9. Calvin Bassey — FulhamEstimated salary: about $2.9 million per year.One of the highest-earning Nigerian defenders currently playing in Europe.
10. Ola Aina — Nottingham ForestEstimated salary: about $2.6 million per year.The versatile defender rounds out the top ten among Nigerian-descent players by salary.
Summary InsightThe majority of the highest-paid Nigerian footballers are based in Europe’s top leagues—Premier League, Bundesliga, and Serie A—with forwards dominating the salary rankings due to their transfer value and goal-scoring impact.
Source : Nairametrics
