Most expensive African players of all time
There is a new record holder for the transfer of an African footballer anywhere in the world. The deal includes English Premier League side, Arsenal and French Ligue 1 side, Lille at the heart of the transfer is Ivorian international, Nicolas Pepe. Arsenal dished out $89m to Lille making Pepe the most expensive African footballer…
There is a new record holder for the transfer of an African footballer anywhere in the world.
The deal includes English Premier League side, Arsenal and French Ligue 1 side, Lille at the heart of the transfer is Ivorian international, Nicolas Pepe.
Arsenal dished out $89m to Lille making Pepe the most expensive African footballer ever. He signed a five-year contract with the London-based side.
His amount overtakes what Chinese side Beijing Guoan paid for DRC’s Cedric Bakambu from Spanish side Villareal. Reports indicate that the March 2018 transfer of Bakambu was $79m.
Most expensive African players
1. Nicolas Pepe – $89m from Lille to Arsenal
2. Cedric Bakambu – $79m from Villareal to Beijing Guoan
3. Riyad Mahrez – $72m from Leicester City to Manchester City
4. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – $68m from Dortmund to Arsenal
5. Naby Keita – $64m from Leipzig to Liverpool
Pepe’s records for Lille stand at 35 goals in 74 Ligue 1 appearances. He spent two seasons at Lille having transferred to the side from another French side Angers in 2017.
On his signing for Arsenal, he said: “Being here is very emotional.” He added that he had “come a long way and struggled a lot and so signing for this great club is a big reward.”