Liverpool now have the 3 most expensive African footballers of all-time

kwame

August 29, 2017 12:01 PM

Africa's most expensive footballers the transfer market has ever seen are all in the English Premier League playing for Liverpool.

Liverpool now have the 3 most expensive African footballers of all-time

Africa’s top football talents have never shied away from moving across the globe to ply their trade.

Take a random guess and players like Abedi Pele, Michael Essien, Didier Drogba, Jay Jay Okocha, Samuel Eto’o, Roger Milla, Nkwankwo Kanu, Yaya Toure will come to mind.

At the top level, these African players have proved in every possible way they can rub shoulders with the best around the world.

In an era that has seen transfer deals blowing up everywhere, African players are right in there and English Premier League side Liverpool has the three most expensive.

Combine the three most expensive players from Africa and it is still £79 million less the football’s most expensive player, Neymar but Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Naby Keita are right there in the big money zone.

Sadio Mane

Senegal international Sadio Mane started his football as a youth player in Generation Foot. The 25-year-old then moved to Metz in France before moving to Australia where he played for Red Bull Salzburg.

Mane’s first stint in the English Premier League was with Southampton where he played two seasons.

In 2016 Liverpool signed the Senegal international from Southampton for a £34 million transfer fee. The fee was expected to rise to £36 million which would have made Mane the most expensive Liverpool signing then ahead of £35 million Andy Carroll in 2011.

Mohamed Salah

Having already made an appearance in the English Premier League with Champions Chelsea, Liverpool had seen a glimpse of what the Egyptian could do.

Loan stints at Fiorentina and Roma (where he later signed a permanent deal) later, Salah was on his way to Liverpool, a club that missed out on signing him during his days with Basel in 2014.

Mohamed Salah has already made appearances for English Premier League side Liverpool and the signs are good.

Naby Keita

Naby Keita is Liverpool’s most expensive player ever at £48 million but is not going to kick a ball for the Reds until July 2018.

This is the deal.

Liverpool have agreed on a transfer deal to sign Keita from German club RB Leipzig by paying his release clause.

The 22-year-old will however play the entire current season in Germany before joining the Anfield club at the start of next season.

Senegal international Keita started his youth career in Horoya before moving to France to play for FC Istres. The player then moved to Red Bull Salzburg in 2014 with a transfer to current club RB Leipzig happening in 2016.

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