The Top 10 Revealed
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The January transfer window has had a sluggish start, with only a handful of significant deals completed in the first week. However, the move that is attracting the most attention is Manchester City’s acquisition of Antoine Semenyo. On Friday, the club announced that they have signed the Bournemouth forward for an initial fee of €72 million, along with an additional €1.7 million in potential add-ons. This not only marks a record transfer fee for a Bournemouth player but also positions Semenyo among the most expensive African internationals in Premier League history.
The Most Expensive African Players in Premier League History
At the top of the list is Ivorian Nicolas Pépé, who transferred from Lille to Arsenal for €80 million in 2019 but struggled to meet expectations in the Premier League and later left the Gunners on a free transfer four years later. In second place is a newcomer, Bryan Mbeumo, who made a €75 million move to Manchester United during the summer transfer window. He shares this transfer fee with Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush. With his recent signing, Semenyo lands in fourth place in the all-time rankings, while fifth place is occupied by fellow Man City recruit Riyad Mahrez, who was signed from Leicester for €68 million.
Two more relatively recent signings have entered the top 10 in the past 10 months. Yoane Wissa’s transfer from Brentford to Newcastle for €57.7 million places the DR Congo international in ninth position. Meanwhile, Mohammed Kudus’s €63.8 million move from West Ham to Tottenham at the start of the season puts him just ahead of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s €63.75 million transfer to Arsenal during the 2017/18 season. Naby Keïta follows in eighth place due to his €60 million move to Liverpool, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka rounds out the top 10 with his €55 million transfer from Crystal Palace to Manchester United.
