Former Ghanaian midfielder Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu has opened up about the wages he received at Berekum Arsenal before his move to Europe.
Following his impressive performances at the 2009 U20 World Cup, where Ghana emerged victorious, Udinese made a bid of €500,000 for the midfielder, who was then playing for Berekum Arsenal.
In an interview with Sporty FM, Agyemang-Badu highlighted the stark financial disparity between playing in Ghana and moving to Europe, emphasising that accepting an overseas offer was an obvious decision.
The former Black Stars midfielder revealed that, given the low wages in Ghanaian football, any opportunity to earn significantly more in Europe was too good to turn down.
“My salary was GH¢30 at Berekum Arsenal, and I was earning GH¢400 at Asante Kotoko. So, imagine an opportunity in Europe where you’d earn around GH¢3,000 to GH¢5,000, you wouldn’t even think twice,” he said.
Nonetheless, he shared his ambitious mindset when signing for Udinese.
According to Agyemang-Badu, although his wages were higher, his primary goal was to establish himself as one of the best players.
“But transitioning from the U20s to my first year in Europe was quite good. Whatever money they offered wasn’t the priority. The goal was to be there, perform well, and secure an improved contract. But at that time, it was good money,” he added.
Agyemang-Badu made 78 appearances for the Ghana national team, featuring in two World Cups and five Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, scoring 11 goals before retiring from international football in 2020.
In Italy, he played over 150 games for Udinese and Hellas Verona in Serie A, scoring 10 goals and providing 9 assists.
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