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!
*
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
AdvertisementAFPTop 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
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
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-NassrHighest 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