The Ligue 1 is the highest level of professional football in France and over the years, several African players have made a major impact in the league with their performances, playing key roles in their teams’ successes.
In recent years, there has been a major increase in the number of African talent coming into the league. While some arrived for huge transfer fees and quickly established themselves among the division’s biggest stars, others have used the league as a stepping stone to secure bigger moves in their careers.
Here are the five most expensive African footballers in the history of the French league.
Achraf Hakimi (€70 million)
Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi joined PSG in a deal worth around €70 million from Inter Milan in the summer of 2021 and remains the most expensive fee paid for an African footballer in the history of the French Ligue 1.
The European champions paid a fixed €60 million, plus an additional €10 million in performance related add-ons to complete the signature of the former Real Madrid right-back.
The move has brought long-term success and Hakimi has won more than 10 major trophies since his arrival at the club, including their first UEFA Champions League trophy last season when they thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 in the final.
The 27-year-old also won the 2025 CAF Men’s Player of the Year award and finished sixth in the 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings.
Hakimi and four other highest earning Africans in the French Ligue 1
Elye Wahi (€35 million)
Ivorian forward Elye Wahi ranks as the second-most expensive African footballer in Ligue 1 history after his €35 million move from Montpellier to Lens in 2023, which also remains the most expensive transfer in the club’s history.
The 23-year-old was one of the most sought after youngsters during that summer and was even close to a move to Premier League giants Chelsea. Wahi spent only one season at Lens after his move, before joining Olympique Marseille.
The French-born forward has since moved on to Eintracht Frankfurt in the German Bundesliga, after struggling at Marseille.
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Abdou Diallo (€32 million)
Senegalese defender Abdou Diallo completed a €32 million move to champions Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2019, which stands as the third most expensive transfer fee paid for an African footballer in the league’s history.
The 30-year-old won eight major trophies during his time at the club and was also part of the squad that lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich in the final of the 2020 UEFA Champions League final.
He has since moved on to RB Leipzig and now plays at Qatari side Umm Salal, after joining them on loan during rhe January transfer window.
Idrissa Gueye (€32 million)
Senegalese midfielder Idrissa Gueye joined Paris Saint-Germain from Everton in 2019, in a fee reported to be worth around €30 million, which ranks as the fourth-highest fee paid for an African player in the league.
The experienced midfielder was also involved in a major controversy in 2022 after taking a stance against the LGBT movement, before he eventually returned to Everton at the end of that season, ending his spell with a total of six major trophies.
Moussa Niakhate (€31.9 million)
French-born Senegalese defender Moussa Niakhate closely follows countryman Diallo on this list, following his move to Olympique Lyon from Nottingham Forest in 2024, which cost the French club around €31.9 million, making him the second most expensive player in Lyon’s history and the fifth most expensive African footballer in Ligue 1 history.
The experienced centre-back has become an integral part of Lyon squad since his arrival and has played a major role as they pursue a return to the UEFA Champions League this season after a six-year absence.
