In the 2023/2024 season, UD Almeria remains the only team in the top 5 leagues without a single victory. The newly-acquired talent from RCD Mallorca, Ghanaian midfielder Iddrisu Baba, who joined the Spanish club to strengthen the midfield, has not been able to turn the team’s fortunes around. The poor performance of the team could adversely affect the Ghanaian’s future contract with the club.
Iddrisu Baba’s Salary at UD Almeria
The Ghanaian midfielder joined the Spanish team on loan with an option to buy in the summer of 2023, and the agreement is set until June 30, 2024. Over the year in Spain, Baba will earn 820,000 euros, excluding bonuses, equating to 15,769 euros per week.
|
Annual Salary |
β¬ 820,000 |
10,772,984 Ghanaian Cedis |
|
Monthly Salary |
β¬ 68,334 |
897,747 Ghanaian Cedis |
|
Weekly Salary |
β¬ 15,769 |
207,167 Ghanaian Cedis |
|
Daily Salary |
β¬ 2,253 |
29,599 Ghanaian Cedis |
Team Salary Overview: Ghanaian – the Highest-Paid African Player in the Team
In the 2023/2024 season, UD Almeria’s total salary expenditure amounts to 16,590,000 euros per year, which is 319,038 euros per week. Only two La Liga clubs spend less on salaries. The highest-paid player in the team is goalkeeper Luis Maximiano. The former Portuguese youth national team player, on loan from SS Lazio, earns 2,080,000 euros per year, or 40,000 euros per week. Iddrisu Baba, on the other hand, ranks sixth in the salary ranking, being the fourth-highest among all foreign players of the Spanish club. The Ghanaian midfielder earns nearly 200,000 euros more than the next player, Brazilian defender Kaiky. Additionally, Baba leads the list of the highest-paid African players at UD Almeria.
|
Player |
Country |
Annual Salary (EUR) |
|
Iddrisu Baba |
Ghana |
β¬ 820,000 |
|
Ibrahima Kone |
Mali |
β¬ 600,000Β |
|
Dion Lopy |
Senegal |
β¬ 480,000Β |
|
Houboulang Mendes |
Guinea-Bissau |
β¬ 410,000 |
|
Marciano Sanca |
Guinea-Bissau |
γβ¬ 100,000 |
Career Salary Comparison
Throughout his career, the earnings of the Ghanaian midfielder have consistently increased. His stint with Barakaldo CF brought about a significant salary boost, doubling his earnings. Returning to RCD Mallorca and joining the first team also led to a twofold increase in income. Despite relegation from La Liga in the 2019/2020 season, Baba had a quality year, playing in 36 matches in all competitions and becoming a team leader, resulting in a contract extension with RCD Mallorca and another substantial salary increase, nearly 3.5 times this time. However, since 2020, Iddrisu Baba’s salary has remained unchanged, and his move to UD Almeria did not impact it. Consequently, the Ghanaian midfielder continues to receive the highest salary of his career.
|
Club |
Salary Euro per Year (EUR) |
Salary Ghanaian Cedi per Year (GHS) |
|
UD Almeria (2023/2024) |
β¬ 820,000 |
10,772,984 Ghanaian Cedis |
|
RCD Mallorca (2020/2023) |
β¬ 820,000 |
10,772,984 Ghanaian Cedis |
|
RCD Mallorca (2018/2020) |
β¬ 240,000 |
3,153,197 Ghanaian Cedis |
|
Barakaldo CF (2017/2018) |
γβ¬ 126,707 |
1,664,717 Ghanaian Cedis |
|
RCD Mallorca B (2016/2017) |
γβ¬ 66,370 |
871,990 Ghanaian Cedis |
Market Value
Over three years, spanning his debut with RCD Mallorca’s second team and various loan spells, Baba’s transfer value not only increased tenfold but continued to rise. Returning from Barakaldo CF, Baba became a regular in his hometown club, and by the end of 2019, his transfer value had multiplied by five. Despite a successful season, helping RCD Mallorca reach La Liga, his market value started to decline midway through the debut season in the elite Spanish division. The team’s unconvincing results led to another relegation to Segunda, accompanied by a nearly 1.5-fold decrease in Baba’s transfer value.
Another return to La Liga sparked a fresh increase in Baba’s market value during the 2021/2022 season, reaching its peak at 3.5 million euros in March. However, the following season saw Iddrisu Baba facing several injuries, affecting not only his playing time but also causing a decline in the midfielder’s market value by nearly 1.5 times. Currently, Transfermarkt values the Ghanaian at 2.5 million euros.
|
Club |
Year |
Market Value |
|
UD Almeria |
2023Β |
β¬ 2,500,000 |
|
RCD Mallorca |
2022 (November) |
β¬ 3,000,000 |
|
RCD Mallorca |
2022 (March) |
β¬ 3,500,000 |
|
RCD MallorcaΒ |
2021 |
β¬ 1,500,000 |
|
RCD MallorcaΒ |
2020 |
β¬ 2,000,000 |
|
RCD Mallorca |
2019 (December) |
β¬ 2,500,000 |
|
RCD Mallorca |
2019 (June) |
β¬ 500,000 |
|
Barakaldo CF |
2018 |
β¬ 250,000 |
|
RCD Mallorca B |
2017 |
β¬ 200,000 |
|
RCD Mallorca B |
2016 |
β¬ 50,000 |
National Team Achievements
Iddrisu Baba made his debut for the Ghana national team in 2019 during the African Cup of Nations qualifiers. Three years later, he made his tournament debut, playing two matches in the group stage and sustaining an injury against Gabon. Despite Baba’s efforts, Ghana only secured two points in the group and failed to advance to the knockout stage.
Playing a key role in Ghana’s qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Baba missed the tournament due to an injury. Nevertheless, he made it to the final squad for the 2023 African Cup of Nations. In total, Baba has played 24 games for the Ghana national team but hasn’t recorded any goals or assists.
Football and Financial Prospects
In the 2023/2024 season, Iddrisu Baba has only missed the field twice in 19 matches. While there is a chance that UD Almeria may face relegation at the end of the season, making a return to Segunda less favorable for the Ghanaian midfielder, stronger teams in the league might take notice of Baba if he performs well in the upcoming African Cup of Nations and gets more playing time at UD Almeria.
