Last season, Junior Pius returned to professional football and helped Romanian FC Botosani save their spot in the first league. Midway through the current season, he signed a short-term contract with Portugese G.D. Chaves with the same goal — to help the club stay in the Primeira Liga. Preserving their spot in the top division could play a key role in signing a new contract with the team.
What is Junior Pius’s Salary at G.D. Chaves?
The Nigerian defender joined the Portuguese team in the winter of 2024; the agreement is set to last until June 30, 2024. For half a year in Portugal, the Nigerian footballer will receive €300,000 without bonuses, which equates to €5,769 per week.
|
Annual Salary |
€ 300,000 |
437,236,646 Nigerian Nairas |
|
Monthly Salary |
€ 25,000 |
36,846,421 Nigerian Nairas |
|
Weekly Salary |
€ 5,769 |
8,502,680 Nigerian Nairas |
|
Daily Salary |
€ 824 |
1,222,758 Nigerian Nairas |
Team Salary Overview: Pius Among the Top-Paid Foreign Players on the Team
In the 2023/2024 season, G.D. Chaves’ total expenditure on salaries amounts to €5,510,000 per year, which is €105,962 per week. The highest-paid player on the team is attacking midfielder Ruben Ribeiro. The Portuguese earns €580,000 a year: €11,154 per week. Junior Pius, in turn, ranks seventh in the salary rankings and is the fourth highest among foreign players at the Portuguese club. The fifth spot is held by Brazilian goalkeeper Hugo Souza, who earns €30,000 less.
|
Player |
Country |
Annual Salary (EUR) |
|
Kelechi Nwakali |
Nigeria |
€ 480,000 |
|
Leandro Sanca |
Guinea-Bissau |
€ 420,000 |
|
Ygor Nogueira |
Brazil |
€ 340,000 |
|
Junior Pius |
Nigeria |
€ 300,000 |
|
Hugo Souza |
Brazil |
€ 270,000 |
The Nigerian defender has the third-largest salary among African players at G.D. Chaves. Ghanaian Issah Abass, who is in fourth place, earns €60,000 less. Furthermore, Junior Pius is ranked fourth among the highest-paid Nigerian players in the Primeira Liga. Closing the top-5, winger Yusuf Lawal from F.C. Arouca earns more than 1.5 times less.
|
Player |
Country |
Club |
Annual Salary (EUR) |
|
Zaidu Sanusi |
Nigeria |
FC Porto |
€ 780,000 |
|
Kelechi Nwakali |
Nigeria |
G.D. Chaves |
€ 480,000 |
|
Chidozie Awaziem |
Nigeria |
Boavista F.C. |
€ 430,000 |
|
Junior Pius |
Nigeria |
G.D. Chaves |
€ 300,000 |
|
Yusuf Lawal |
Nigeria |
F.C. Arouca |
€ 180,000 |
Career Salary Comparison
After moving to F.C. Pacos de Ferreira, the salary of the Nigerian defender more than doubled. A successful season in Portugal’s second division led to a contract with Royal Antwerp F.C., increasing his earnings more than sixfold. Despite a serious injury, Junior Pius’s salary increased slightly by €20,000 in the following season and remained the same during his loan at Sint-Truidense V.V.
After a half-year hiatus without a contract, the Nigerian moved to Romania, where his earnings dropped more than 6.5 times. However, this winter, Pius returned to Portugal, and his salary increased more than sevenfold, becoming the highest in his career.
|
Club |
Salary Euro per Year (EUR) |
Salary Nigerian Nairas per Year (NGN) |
|
G.D. Chaves (2023/2024) |
€ 300,000 |
437,236,646 Nigerian Nairas |
|
FC Botosani (2023/2024) |
〜€ 42,612 |
63,233,227 Nigerian Nairas |
|
Sint-Truidense V.V. (2021/2022) |
€ 280,000 |
411,897,791 Nigerian Nairas |
|
Royal Antwerp F.C. (2020/2022) |
€ 280,000 |
411,897,791 Nigerian Nairas |
|
Royal Antwerp F.C. (2019/2020) |
€ 260,000 |
381,129,457 Nigerian Nairas |
|
F.C. Pacos de Ferreira (2018/2019) |
〜€ 42,003 |
〜61,571,464 Nigerian Nairas |
|
C.D. Tondela (2017/2018) |
€ 20,000 |
29,230,299 Nigerian Nairas |
Market Value: Slight Increase After Career Relaunch in Romania
Despite missing most of the 2017/2018 season at C.D. Tondela due to a serious injury, his transfer value tripled. After a standout season and victory in Portugal’s Segunda, Pius’s transfer sum increased fivefold, reaching its peak. However, his debut season in Belgium was unsuccessful: the defender missed it due to a cruciate ligament tear, and midway through the second season, he went on loan. This caused his market value to drop by €150,000. Despite an increase of €100,000 at Sint-Truidense V.V., Junior Pius was left without a club afterward, causing his value to drop more than twofold.
However, at the end of the 2022/2023 season, the Nigerian relaunched his career in Romania. Quality performances for FC Botosani and his subsequent return to Portugal led to an increase in his transfer sum by €50,000. Currently, Transfermarkt values the Nigerian defender at €450,000, making Pius the seventh most expensive player at the Portuguese team.
|
Club |
Year |
Market Value |
|
FC Botosani/ G.D. Chaves |
2023 |
€ 450,000 |
|
Sint-Truidense V.V. |
2022 |
€ 400,000 |
|
Sint-Truidense V.V. |
2021 |
€ 700,000 |
|
Royal Antwerp F.C. |
2020 |
€ 600,000 |
|
F.C. Pacos de Ferreira/ Royal Antwerp F.C. |
2019 |
€ 750,000 |
|
C.D. Tondela |
2018 |
€ 150,000 |
|
C.D. Tondela |
2017 |
€ 50,000 |
Achievements, Football and Financial Prospects
Junior Pius has never played for the Nigerian national team: having not stayed at clubs longer than two seasons, the defender did not draw the attention of national team coaches. Nevertheless, among his achievements are several trophies. In the 2018/2019 season, the Nigerian helped F.C. Pacos de Ferreira win the Segunda.
Moreover, that campaign was the most productive in the Nigerian footballer’s career: Pius scored three goals and provided three assists, earning a contract with Royal Antwerp F.C. at the end of the season. The defender missed almost the entire next season, yet this did not prevent him from becoming a Belgian Cup winner.
After moving to G.D. Chaves, the 28-year-old defender immediately secured a place in the starting lineup and has not missed a single game. Even if the Portuguese club is relegated from the Primeira Liga, there is a possibility that they will extend the agreement.
