The Championship season is currently in its final stages, with Middlesbrough, Coventry City, Millwall, and Ipswich Town all vying for Premier League promotion.
Sheffield Wednesday’s relegation to League One has already been confirmed, but Oxford United, Leicester City, West Brom, and Blackburn Rovers might follow suit.
Meanwhile, other teams are still aiming for a play-off spot, so there is still something to play for in these final months.
It promises to be a dramatic climax to the term, with teams counting on important individuals to help them over the finish line and achieve something.
The highest-paid players are frequently the ones that squads look to for the magical moments that can win a game, but they do not always deserve their position in the hierarchy.
We utilize Capology’s estimated estimates to identify the eight most overpaid players in the Championship this season.
8 Ricardo Pereira
Ricardo Pereira was a quality Premier League player for Leicester City, so it’s no surprise that he’s one of the club’s highest-paid players.
The full-back is in his eighth season at the King Power Stadium and earns £80,000 a week.
The 32-year-old has appeared frequently this season, and while he still has flashes of his former self, it’s evident that he’s past his prime these days.
While he remains an important player of the squad, the Foxes are now struggling to avoid relegation to League One under Gary Rowett.
On that logic, any player offered £80,000 per week will be regarded overpaid, even if Pereira’s previous successes explain how he came to earn such a high salary.
7 Danny Ings
Following Sheffield United’s play-off final loss to Sunderland, Danny Ings signed a one-year contract with the club during the summer transfer window of 2025.
The Blades anticipated his arrival would play a significant role in propelling the team back to the Premier League.
However, the striker has struggled for form in the Championship and has played seldom under Chris Wilder.
The veteran forward has only started a few league games, and the Yorkshire club is on the cusp of the play-offs, requiring an amazing run of form in the closing months to reclaim their place in the top six.
Ings is one of Sheffield United’s highest-paid players, earning £30,000 a week, yet it’s fair to say he hasn’t met expectations since joining from West Ham.
6 Shane Duffy
Shane Duffy is Norwich City’s highest-paid player this season, making £35,000 per week.
However, the centre-back is an insignificant figure at Carrow Road, having played only a few games.
The defender is not at his best these days, and the Canaries will not count on him to play a significant role in their effort to stay in the second level beyond this season.
Duffy is in his third season with Norwich, having signed as a free agency from Fulham in 2023, and he is poised to become a free agent this summer.
Overall, this agreement worked out well for Norfolk, but given his pay and lack of playing time, it would be remarkable if he was retained for the following season.
5 Kyogo Furuhashi
Birmingham City fans were ecstatic when Kyogo Furuhashi joined the club after their promotion to the Championship last summer.
Prior to his move to St. Andrew’s, the winger struggled at Rennes, but he excelled at Celtic and played a key role in four consecutive league titles.
However, the Japan international has been unable to regain his previous form, continuing where he left off in France.
The 31-year-old waited until late January to score his first league goal, which came against the struggling Sheffield Wednesday.
Furuhashi is Birmingham’s second highest-paid player, earning £35,000 a week, so it’s fair to say he’s been an extremely disappointing signing.
With his contract extending until the summer of 2029, the Midlands club’s decision to pay this price could prove to be a costly mistake.
4 Jamaal Lascelles
Jamaal Lascelles moved to Leicester from Newcastle United at the end of the January transfer window, having fallen down the pecking order under Eddie Howe.
Sensibly, the defender was only signed until the end of the season, but a weekly wage of £50,000 is still pretty high for someone who has featured so little in the previous two seasons.
The Foxes needed reinforcements in the winter market due to their dismal form, but the 32-year-old’s lack of recent game time means he will need time to regain full match fitness.
At best, Lascelles can provide solid defensive insurance for the team, making his £50,000 per week salary a significant outlay for someone of that level in the squad.
3 Harry Souttar
When Leicester City signed Harry Souttar in January 2023, he was regarded as one of the Championship’s greatest defenders.
However, in his three years at the King Power Stadium, the centre-back has made minimal impression, including failing to appear once in 2025/26 due to an Achilles injury.
The Australian international receives £40,000 a week from the Foxes, making him the club’s eighth highest paid player.
With his contract continuing until June 2028, his signing could go down as one of Leicester’s worst ever.
Souttar was also signed from Stoke City for an estimated £15 million.
2 Alex McCarthy
Alex McCarthy has been a Southampton first-team member since 2016, making him one of the club’s most experienced players.
However, the goalkeeper has not been a consistent fixture in the side for several seasons, making only a few appearances every season since playing 17 times in 2021/22.
However, the shot-stopper is the second highest paid member of the Saints’ squad, earning £40,000 per week.
Given his rank within the group, there are greater uses for their resources.
1 Patson Daka
Patson Daka is not only the third highest-paid player in the Leicester squad, but also in the entire second division.
The forward earns £75,000 a week from the Foxes, which is £25,000 more than the next highest paid non-Leicester player in the Championship (Carlos Vicente).
However, he has not made much of an impact on the club this season, serving as a secondary option rather than a frequent starter.
The 27-year-old’s contract expires in June, but the club’s failure to offload him for a fee in previous transfer windows has left them on the hook for a wage they simply should not be paying at this level, especially for someone who has made such little impact on the team.
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