After a successful 2022/23 season in the Segunda Division and being the top scorer for Almeria, striker Umar Sadiq moved to San Sebastian, where he hasn’t yet received much playing time during the 2023/24 season, which was quite succesfull for the Basque club. Nevertheless, the Nigerian is among the top five highest-paid foreign players on the team. Kick Off Nigeria looks into the player’s financial story.
What is Umar Sadiq’s Salary at Real Sociedad?
The Nigerian national team striker signed a contract with the Spanish team in the fall of 2022, which runs until June 30, 2028. Over the next five years, the Nigerian footballer will earn €6,000,000 excluding bonuses. In the 2023/2024 season, Sadiq will receive €1,200,000, which equates to €23,077 per week.
|
Annual Salary |
€ 1,200,000 |
1,042,176,500 Nigerian Naira |
|
Monthly Salary |
€ 100,000 |
86,848,042 Nigerian Naira |
|
Weekly Salary |
€ 23,077 |
20,041,923 Nigerian Naira |
|
Daily Salary |
€ 3,297 |
2,863,380 Nigerian Naira |
Team Salary Overview: Sadiq Among Top-5 Highest-Paid Foreign Players
In the 2023/2024 season, Real Sociedad’s total expenditure on salaries is €48,180,000, which is €926,538 per week. The highest-paid player on the team is defender Kieran Tierney. The Scotland national team player earns €6,670,000 annually: €128,269 per week. Umar Sadiq, in turn, ranks only 14th in the salary rankings. Nevertheless, this is the fifth-highest among the team’s foreign players and the second-highest among African footballers at Real Sociedad.
|
Player |
Country |
Annual Salary (EUR) |
|
Kieran Tierney (1) |
Scotland |
€ 6,670,000 |
|
Andre Silva (2) |
Portugal |
€ 5,000,000 |
|
Hamari Traore (9) |
Mali |
€ 2,400,000 |
|
Takefusa Kubo (13) |
Japan |
€ 2,000,000 |
|
Umar Sadiq (14) |
Nigeria |
€ 1,200,000 |
Career Salary Comparison: Growth After Moving to Spain
Before moving to Almeria, Umar Sadiq belonged to AS Roma for over five years, spending several seasons on loan. During his Italian career, his salary increased only once, but by four times. Since 2020, after moving to Spain, the Nigerian’s salary has only increased. After a successful season in the Segunda Division and a subsequent move to a La Liga team, Sadiq’s salary doubled.
|
Club |
Annual Salary (EUR) |
Annual Salary (NGN) |
|
Real Sociedad (2022/2024) |
€ 1,200,000 |
1,042,176,500 Nigerian Naira |
|
Almeria (2020/2022) |
€ 600,000 |
520,511,098 Nigerian Naira |
|
AS Roma (2018/2019) |
€ 440,000 |
381,708,138 Nigerian Naira |
|
Torino FC 1909 (2017/2018) |
€ 440,000 |
381,708,138 Nigerian Naira |
|
Bologna FC 1909 (2016/2017) |
€ 440,000 |
381,708,138 Nigerian Naira |
|
AS Roma (2015/2017) |
€ 110,000 |
95,427,488 Nigerian Naira |
Market Value
The player’s transfer value started to rise in 2020: after the loan to FC Partizan and his transfer to Almeria. He reached his career peak value in 2022, becoming the top scorer of his team in the Segunda Division and promoting it to Spain’s elite division. However, after moving to Real Sociedad, his transfer value decreased by two million euros. Nevertheless, Sadiq is among the top ten most valuable players in the Spanish club. Transfermarkt.com currently values the Nigerian’s transfer at €16 million.
|
Club |
Year |
Market Value |
|
Real Sociedad |
2023 |
€ 16,000,000 |
|
Almeria |
2022 |
€ 18,000,000 |
|
Almeria |
2021 (June) |
€ 15,000,000 |
|
Almeria |
2021 (March) |
€ 8,000,000 |
|
FC Partizan |
2020 |
€ 6,000,000 |
|
AC Perugia Calcio |
2019 |
€ 1,400,000 |
|
Torino FC 1909 |
2017 (December) |
€ 1,800,000 |
|
Bologna FC |
2017 (January) |
€ 2,500,000 |
|
AS Roma |
2016 |
€ 2,500,000 |
|
AS Roma |
2015 (November) |
€ 900,000 |
|
Spezia Calcio |
2015 (March) |
€ 150,000 |
Achievements with the National Team
Umar Sadiq debuted for the main Nigerian national team only in the winter of 2022. However, with the Olympic national team, the striker became a bronze medalist at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. The Nigerians topped their group, passed Denmark in the quarterfinals, and lost to Germany in the semifinals. Sadiq scored four goals in that tournament: his brace in the third-place match allowed Nigeria to beat Honduras 3-2. Additionally, the striker finished second in the top scorers’ list, sharing the spot with his teammate Oghenekaro Etebo, Mexican Erick Gutiérrez, and Brazilian Neymar Junior.
Football and Financial Prospects
In the 2023/2024 season, Umar Sadiq was getting some playing time in the starting eleven, but still often came on as a substitute. Nevertheless, the Nigerian managed to score three goals and provide an assist. If next season he returns to his Almeria scoring form, he will not only help Real Sociedad finish in the top five but also be in a position to negotiate an increase in his salary.
