AFRICA’S MOST EXPENSIVE FOOTBALLERS IN HISTORY FROM EACH NATION
1. BRYAN MBEUMO 🇨🇲 €82 million
✅ The most expensive Cameroonian footballer in history is Bryan Mbeumo, who was transferred from Brentford to Manchester United for €82 million. This 2025 transfer makes him the most expensive Cameroonian player and also the most expensive African player in history.
2. VICTOR OSIMHEN 🇳🇬 €78.9 million
✅ Victor Osimhen is the most expensive Nigerian footballer in history, with his combined transfer fees totaling over €153 million. His biggest single transfer was from Lille to Napoli for €78.9 million in 2020, a move that remains the highest single transfer fee for a Nigerian player.
3. CEDRIC BAKAMBU 🇨🇩 €74 million
✅ The most expensive footballer from the Democratic Republic of Congo in history is Cédric Bakambu, who had a £65 million (around €74 million) transfer to Beijing Guoan in 2018.
4. NICOLAS PEPE 🇨🇮 £72 million
✅ The most expensive Ivorian footballer in history is Nicolas Pépé, who moved from Lille to Arsenal in 2019 for a reported fee of €72 million (£72 million or about $89 million). This transfer also made him the most expensive African footballer at the time of the signing.
5. ACHRAF HAKIMI 🇲🇦 €68 million
✅ Achraf Hakimi is the most expensive Moroccan footballer in history, with his transfer from Inter Milan to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 reported to have a fee of €68 million, potentially rising to €71 million with add-ons. This move made him one of the most expensive Arab players at the time and cemented his status as Morocco’s most valuable player.
6. OMAR MARMOUSH 🇪🇬 £59 million
✅ The most expensive Egyptian footballer in history is Omar Marmoush, who was signed by Manchester City for £59 million in January 2025. This transfer made him not only the most expensive Egyptian player ever but also the second-most-expensive transfer of the January 2025 window.
7. PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG 🇬🇦 £56 million
✅ Pierre Emerick Aubameyang is the most expensive Gabonese footballer in history, with Arsenal’s £56 million transfer fee from Borussia Dortmund in 2018 being the record.
8. MOHAMMED KUDUS 🇬🇭 €55 million
✅ Mohammed Kudus is the most expensive Ghanaian footballer in history following his £55 million transfer from West Ham to Tottenham in July 2025. This move surpassed the previous record held by Thomas Partey, who was sold to Arsenal for £45 million (€50 million) in 2020.
9. RAYAN AIT-NOURI 🇩🇿 €35 million
✅ Rayan Aït-Nouri is the most expensive Algerian footballer in history, with a market value of €35 million as of June 2025.
10. SADIO MANE 🇸🇳 £34 million
✅ The most expensive Senegalese footballer in history is Sadio Mané, who transferred from Southampton to Liverpool for £34 million in 2016. This transfer also made him the most expensive African player in history at the time.
11. PATSON DAKA 🇿🇲 €30 million
✅ Patson Daka is the most expensive Zambian footballer in history after his 2021 transfer to Leicester City for £23 million (approximately €30 million). He made history with the move to the Premier League, and despite fluctuations in his market value since, he still holds this record.
12. YVES BISSOUMA 🇲🇱 £25 million
✅ The most expensive Malian footballer is Yves Bissouma, whose transfer from Brighton to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2022 was worth £25 million. This move set a new record for a Malian player and was a significant milestone for the country’s football history.
13. MARSHALL MUNETSI 🇿🇼 £16 million
✅ Marshall Munetsi is the most expensive Zimbabwean footballer in history, following his £16 million transfer from French side Stade de Reims to English Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2025.
14. REINILDO MANDAVA 🇲🇿 €16 million
✅ The most expensive Mozambican footballer in history is Reinildo Mandava, whose market value peaked at €16 million. While he isn’t the most valuable player in the world, he holds the record for Mozambique, significantly higher than the next most valuable player, Geny Catamo, who is valued at €15 million.
15. VICTOR WANYAMA 🇰🇪 £12.5 million
✅ Victor Wanyama is the most expensive Kenyan footballer in history due to his £12.5 million transfer from Celtic to Southampton in 2013, which made him the most expensive player sold by a Scottish club at the time.
16. LYLE FOSTER 🇿🇦 €10 million
✅ The most expensive South African footballer in history is Lyle Forster, who joined Burnley FC for a fee that was set to rise to approximately €10 million (R187 million).
17. BERTRAND TRAORE 🇧🇫 €10 million
✅ The most expensive Burkina Faso footballer in history is Bertrand Traoré, who joined Lyon in 2017 for an initial transfer fee of €10 million.
18. MBWANA SAMATTA 🇹🇿 £8.5 million
✅ The most expensive Tanzanian footballer in history is Mbwana Samatta, who was transferred to Premier League club Aston Villa in 2020 for a fee reported to be £8.5 million. He became the first Tanzanian to play in the Premier League.
Transfer.
19. M’BALA NZOLA 🇦🇴 €6.00 million
✅ The most expensive Angolan footballer is M’Bala Nzola, whose market value is reported to be €6.00 million.
20. YOUSSEF MSAKNI 🇹🇳 €4.25 million
✅ The most expensive Tunisian footballer in history is Youssef Msakni, with a reported transfer fee of €4.25 million. This fee was for his move from Espérance de Tunis to Lekhwiya (now Al Duhail) in Qatar.
21. DALITSO SAILESI 🇲🇼 $30,000
✅ The most expensive Malawian footballer in history is Dalitso Sailesi, who was sold to Zambian club Lusaka Dynamos for a reported $30,000 transfer fee in 2017. This transfer broke the record for the most expensive sale of a Malawian player from a local club.
22. THABO MASUALLE 🇱🇸 M40,000
✅ The most expensive transfer was Thabo Masualle, who moved from Lioli FC to Bantu FC for over M40,000 in 2013, but this record has not been surpassed by a domestic transfer since.
Then for BOTSWANA 🇧🇼
✅ There is no single, publicly known “most expensive” Botswanan footballer in history, as transfer fees for players from the country are not widely publicized in a way that establishes a definitive record.
#UNCLELUCKY