Egyptian King Salah still on top - The most valuable African players in the Premier League

©TM/IMAGO

The latest African Cup Of Nations gets underway in Ivory Coast this January, with plenty of Premier League clubs set to lose the services of some of their top stars for a month or so. Players like Mohamed Salah and André Onana could be set to miss up to seven games with their club sides if their nations are to go all the way to the final of the tournament. 

Senegal won their first ever AFCON in the last tournament in 2021, beating seven time winners Egypt on penalties in the final in Cameroon. Some of the greatest talent on English shores at this moment in time come from African nations, but who are the most valuable African players plying their trade in the Premier League right now?

Which players make the top 10?

Despite being 31 years of age and coming towards the twilight of his career, Liverpool’s Egyptian King Salah is still top of the Premier League goalscoring charts and is the most valuable African in the league, still valued at €65m. Interest from Saudi Arabian clubs in the services of the veteran continue, but Salah will be a big miss for the Reds this January whilst he captains his nation and strives to win his first AFCON. He was a runner up in both 2017 and 2021. 

Stats

Mohamed Salah Right Winger

Liverpool FC

Career stats–
Premier League

Games

247

Goals

154

Assists

67

The second most valuable African in the league is a new arrival in West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus, valued at €45m. The Ghana international has had a great start to his life in East London, scoring nine goals in 24 games for the Hammers and already becoming a key man at the London Stadium. Third place on the list goes to Manchester United and Cameroon goalkeeper Onana (Market Value: €40m), who hasn’t had quite such a smooth start to life in the Premier League. Several high profile mistakes have led to widespread criticism, but he did save a last minute penalty to give the Red Devils their only Champions League win of the season.

Fourth and fifth place go to Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo and West Ham’s Nayef Aguerd respectively, both valued at €38m, but with the Cameroonian Mbeumo ahead, being three years Aguerd’s junior. Mbeumo scored seven goals and registered four assists in 15 league games before suffering an ankle injury in November which will rule him out of AFCON, whilst Morocco defender Aguerd has been a key player at centre-back for the Hammers this term. 

Up next are three players valued at €35m, 21-year-old Tottenham and Senegal midfielder Pape Matar Sarr in sixth, who has two league goals for Spurs this season, 22-year-old Senegalese striker Nicolas Jackson who has seven in the Premier League for Chelsea in seventh, and 23-year-old Crystal Palace and Mali holding midfielder Cheick Doucouré in eighth. Completing the top ten are Nottingham Forest and Ivory Coast midfielder Ibrahim Sangaré (MV: €32m) and Tottenham and Mali midfielder Yves Bissouma (MV: €30m).