27. Nicolas Anelka (Juventus – loan) – £21.5m
During a colourful career Nicolas Anelka was nicknamed Le Sulk in part for demanding better pay while at Arsenal. He has played for some of Europe’s elite clubs including Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Chelsea and is currently on loan at Serie A giants Juventus from Shanghai Shenhua.
The much-travelled striker was enjoying a lucrative end to his career after signing a contract with Chinese side Shenhua worth £166,000 a week, and a possible further £200,000 in bonuses.
However a wage dispute with Shanghai led to the French striker signing for Italian champions Juventus on loan for five months, with the possibility of a further year.
In addition to his salary, the 33-year-old striker commands a substantial sponsorship deal with Adidas, while last year he signed a 12-month sponsorship with The9 worth £2.1 million.
Big-money transfers have certainly swollen the Frenchman’s personal fortune. He left Arsenal with a league winners’ medal for Madrid in a £22.3m deal in 1999. He won the Champions League with Real, but after just 12 months in the Spanish capital he opted for a move to PSG in a £20m deal.
Further big-money moves included a £13m transfer to Manchester City and a £15m move to Stamford Bridge in 2008. Clubs have paid a total of £86.8m in transfer fees for Anelka during his career.
With one eye on life after football, Anelka has revealed that he fancies working in the film industry. He has properties across the world including luxury homes in Dubai that cost £2.75m.