How much does the former Premier League winner earn in the Saudi Pro League?
N'Golo Kante made the move from Europe to Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad in 2023 as the midfielder left Chelsea after spending seven seasons at Stamford Bridge.
Kante is hailed as one of the best defensive midfielders from this generation, having won the Premier League and Champions League with Chelsea along with the 2018 FIFA World Cup with France .
Considering the kind of player the Frenchmen is, Al Ittihad had to throw in huge sums of money to get his signature, making him one of the highest earners at the club.
But just exactly how much Kante earns playing for the Saudi side? Let's find out!
GOAL delved into the numbers from Capology and found out!
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N'Golo Kante's salary in numbers
Under his current contract at Al Ittihad, Kante earns a hefty £403,117 ($520,814) on a weekly basis.
His annual salary scales comfortably over £20 million ($27m), making him the second highest earner at the club after Karim Benzema.
|
Player
|
Nationality
|
Weekly wages GBP
|
Weekly wages USD
|
Annual wages GBP
|
Annual wages USD
|
|
N'Golo Kante
|
French
|
£403,117
|
$520,814
|
£20,962,078
|
$27,082,355
|
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Top earners at Al Ittihad
Sitting undisputedly at the top of the wage bill at Al Ittihad is none other than former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema. The striker earns four times the money that Kante makes under his current contract.
At number three comes in yet another France international in Moussa Diaby, while Fabinho and Steven Bergwijn round off the top five list in fourth and fifth position respectively.
Top 5 highest paid players at Al Ittihad
| Player |
Nationality |
Weekly wages GBP |
Weekly wages USD |
Annual wages GBP |
Annual wages USD |
|
Karim Benzema
|
French
|
£1,612,468
|
$2,083,257
|
£83,848,311
|
$108,329,340
|
|
N'Golo Kante
|
French
|
£403,117
|
$520,814
|
£20,962,078
|
$27,082,355
|
|
Moussa Diaby
|
French
|
£246,869
|
$318,947
|
£12,837,176
|
$16,585,222
|
|
Fabinho
|
Brazilian
|
£225,745
|
$291,656
|
£11,738,764
|
$15,166,108
|
|
Steven Bergwijn
|
Dutch
|
£148,025
|
$191,243
|
£7,697,275
|
$9,944,633
|
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Top earners in Saudi Pro League
It doesn't come as a surprise that Cristiano Ronaldo leads the chart as the league's top earner.
Following the superstar is his former Madrid team-mate Benzema, while former Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez takes the third spot.
Finally, rounding off the top five are Senegalese internationals Sadio Mané and Kalidou Koulibaly, occupying the fourth and fifth spots, respectively.
Despite being Al Ittihad's second-top earner, Kante fails to make a spot in the top five.
Top 5 highest paid players in the Saudi Pro League
|
Player
|
Club
|
Weekly wages GBP
|
Weekly wages USD
|
Annual wages GBP
|
Annual wages USD
|
|
Cristiano Ronaldo
|
Al Nassr
|
£3,224,935
|
$4,166,513
|
£167,696,622
|
$216,658,460
|
|
Karim Benzema
|
Al Ittihad
|
£1,612,468
|
$2,083,57
|
£83,848,311
|
$108,329,340
|
|
Riyadh Mahrez
|
Al Ahli
|
£841,708
|
$1,087,460
|
£43,768,818
|
$56,547,915
|
|
Sadio Mane
|
Al Nassr
|
£644,987
|
$833,303
|
£433,539,324
|
$43,331,736
|
|
Kalidou Koulibaly
|
Al Hilal
|
£559,526
|
$722,890
|
£25,095,364
|
$37,590,281
|
- Al-Nassr
Highest paid players in the world
The top earners in Saudi earn impressive sums of money in the league, but how do they fare in the highest-paid players across the world?
Well, it turns out that the top five of the Saudi Pro League are also the top earners across the footballing world, even leaving behind some of the best and oldest clubs from Europe.
Top 5 highest paid players in the world
|
Player
|
Nationality
|
Weekly wages in GBP
|
Weekly wages in USD
|
Annual wages in GBP
|
Annual wages in USD
|
|
Cristiano Ronaldo
|
Portuguese
|
£3,224,935
|
$4,166,513
|
£167,696,622
|
$216,658,680
|
|
Karim Benzema
|
French
|
£1,612,468
|
$2,083,257
|
£83,848,311
|
$108,329,340
|
|
Riyad Mahrez
|
Algerian
|
£841,708
|
$1,087,460
|
43,768,818
|
$56,547,915
|
|
Sadio Mane
|
Senegalese
|
£644,987
|
$833,303
|
£33,539,324
|
$43,331,736
|
|
Kalidou Koulibaly
|
Senegalese
|
£559,526
|
$722,890
|
£29,095,364
|
$37,590,281
|
