t is not only very popular but also attracts a lot of cash. Today footballers make a lot of money from lucrative contracts and bonuses paid by many clubs.

We often see players being paid handsomely when deciding which club to play for or who they go to will affect their football development.

Other times you'll see players decide to stay at the club and get out of contract without affecting playing time because of how much they get paid.

Some footballers choose money over passion and professional development. Here are some examples.

1. Winston Bogard

Winston is a retired Dutch player who has represented the Netherlands, Ajax, Barcelona and Chelsea.

The defender was part of an exciting Ajax team in the mid-1990s, who qualified and won the Champions League.

While at Stamford Bridge, Bogarde's career was known for his love of money.

Despite signing a four-year contract with the Blues, he failed to play a league game.

Although none of the previous managers wanted to work with him, he decided to stay and fulfill the contract because he took a lot of money as a salary.

He will eventually leave when his contract expires. His example prevails among most footballers who choose money over passion.

2. Radamel Falcao

The Colombian football legend started making waves during his time at FC Porto. Led by Andre Villas-Boas, Falcao's goals helped Porto to the Europa League title.

He decided to move to Atletico Madrid and continue his success, winning another Europa League title there.

Over time, several top European clubs came to sign him. However, Russian oligarch and billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev has injected huge sums of money into Ligue 1 club Monaco. This gives the unpretentious French club the ability to sign as many players as possible.

Falcao joined Monaco for around 60 million euros, with a net salary of 14 million euros a year.

Despite a stellar career at Monaco, his departure from the French club appears to be due to financial pressures.

3. Oscar

Oscar is an attacking midfielder who was on Chelsea's squad from 2012 to 2017.

While at Stamford Bridge, he won the Premier League and the Europa League.

In 2017, the former Brazil international set an Asian record for a £67m move to China's Shanghai Port, despite spending more years in top-flight football.

He will reportedly be paid £400,000 a week.

4. Emmanuel Adebayor

The former Togo national team captain took part in a big event that saw him play against a number of top teams including Arsenal, Manchester City and Real Madrid.

Emmanuel is a talented but sometimes dangerous player, known for his talent and striker goals.

During his time with the Gunners, he was often rumoured to be leaving north London for Manchester City because of his higher salary.

Those words finally came true in 2009, when he joined Cityzens for around £25m, much to the dismay of Arsenal supporters.

5. Hulk

Hulk is a Brazilian striker who has played for several teams during his long career.

The 36-year-old takes his name from a famous comic book superhero with whom he shares a similar relationship.

Aside from his unusual alias, the striker is also known for making big bucks at other less fancy clubs in Russia and China.

The latter reportedly earned £320,000 a week while playing for China's Shanghai Hong Kong team.

6. Georginio Wijnaldum

The Dutch footballer was one of the best midfielders ever.

Wijnaldum joined Liverpool from Newcastle in 2016 for a fee of £23 million. He was their most valuable player and helped them win the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League.

However, when his Liverpool contract was about to expire, he was sought after by Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona.

His former Dutch manager Ronald Koeman, who was Barcelona coach at the time, wanted Wijnaldum at the Spanish club.

Nevertheless, the Dutchman has signed a contract at Paris Saint-Germain, who are said to be willing to double Barca's fee. He is one of those footballers who chooses money over passion.

His time at Paris Saint-Germain wasn’t the best and he was immediately loaned to Roma.

7. Jay Jay Okocha

The legendary African midfielder is considered one of the greatest footballers of his generation. But he never reached the expectations of his talented players, perhaps because of financial choices.

Jay Jay Okocha joined Bolton Rovers on a free transfer in 2002 after leaving Paris Saint-Germain.

During his time at Bolton he was an outstanding character and received the captain's armband.

However, as he began planning a trip to the Middle East, things took a turn for the worse. Okocha was stripped of his captaincy after he turned down a one-year extension from the club.

He later joined Qatar Sports Club, where he was proclaimed the highest paid player in Qatar at the time.