LONDON: Chelsea striker Samuel Eto’o is the wealthiest foreign-born English Premier League (EPL) player with a net worth of £39m according to a Wealth-X list that also includes players from Spain, Argentina and the Czech Republic.
Cameroonian-born Eto’o signed a one-year deal with Chelsea in August 2013 for an undisclosed fee, although several media reports claimed he took a substantial pay cut to move to the English club from Russian football club, Anzhi Makhachkala.
The combined fortunes of the 10 footballers on the list is £245 million (US$402 million), £10 million less than the combined net worth of the individuals on Wealth-X’s list of the wealthiest English-born EPL players. Wayne Rooney topped that list – and also ranks first on the combined list of English and foreign born EPL footballers – with his £45 million (US$ 73 million) personal fortune.
Three Chelsea players appear in the list, and collectively their combined wealth totals £87 million (US$142 million). Manchester City is also represented by three players on the list, with a combined net worth of £68 million (US$ 111 million).
Below are the top 5 wealthiest foreign-born EPL players:
Rank | Name | Country of Origin | Team | Net Worth (£ million) | Net Worth (US$ million) |
1 | Samuel Eto’o | Cameroon | Chelsea | 39 | 64 |
2 | Ryan Giggs | Wales | Manchester Utd | 27 | 45 |
3 | Fernando Torres | Spain | Chelsea | 26 | 42 |
4 | Yaya Toure | Ivory Coast | Manchester City | 25 | 41 |
5 | Sergio Aguero | Argentina | Manchester City | 24 | 39 |
Michael Byrne, Wealth-X UK director, said: “The results of this survey may come to a surprise for many, who may have been under the impression that foreign-born EPL players receive more rewarding compensation than their English counterparts.
“English-born footballers in the EPL amass greater sponsorship and are therefore in a position to accumulate greater overall net worth. This run-down certainly produces more surprises than the English-born list.”
Download the full list at http://www.wealthx.com/