Taiwo Awoniyi, the 26-year-old Nigerian forward, may be pocketing a substantial £2.6 million per year through his contract with Premier League club Nottingham Forest. However, despite the impressive figure, his earnings fall short of making it into the top-5 salary list within the team.
Currently, there are eight players on the Nottingham Forest roster who command higher salaries than the Nigerian striker. This fact is somewhat surprising, especially considering that just two years ago, Awoniyi’s transfer from the German Bundesliga side Union Berlin marked a club record expenditure of £17.5 million (approximately €20 million). As per Transfermarkt’s data, his current market value stands at an impressive €30 million. At present, the highest-paid player in Nottingham Forest is the Belgian forward Divock Origi, formerly of Liverpool FC, who is currently on loan from Fulham FC. Origi’s estimated yearly salary is a whopping £6.2 million.
Awoniyi’s journey through professional football has seen him go from being a part of the legendary Anfield club to a series of loan spells and ultimately a permanent move to Germany, all in pursuit of more playing time. Compared to his time in the German capital, Awoniyi now earns twice as much, having received a 100% raise from his previous £25,000 weekly wage at Union Berlin.
Information from open sources reveals that the Nigerian striker has accumulated a gross total of £5,821,957 throughout his playing career.
When we examine Nottingham Forest’s overall expenditure on player salaries for the 2023/24 season, the numbers are quite revealing. The club is set to allocate nearly £70 million to player salaries, with the most substantial portion going to the defenders, who will collectively earn £26,260,000.
In light of these figures, Taiwo Awoniyi’s earnings, though impressive by most standards, serve as a reminder of the financial muscle within Nottingham Forest’s squad, particularly among the top earners who occupy the top spots in the team’s salary hierarchy.
