Every Premier League club’s salary bill for the 2025/26 season has been announced, and, obviously, there is a significant disparity between those at the top – notably one half of the Manchester-based partnership – and the lowest-paying teams, such as Burnley and Sunderland, both of which were promoted last season.
There is so much money involved in the world of football nowadays that spectators could be forgiven for believing that every top-tier team has an unlimited budget to pay their players. While some clubs spend a lot of money on their wages, others have a significantly lower budget.
Many of the sums in question are astronomical, and they are only expected to rise higher as the Saudi Pro League’s wealth increases its impact and competition. Top English players are asking for compensation raises or exploring moves to the Middle East to take advantage of the rich contracts available there.
Having said that, there is little compassion for Premier League clubs, which have nearly monopolised Europe’s financial power. Clubs who are perceived to be historically and traditionally larger are towards the top of the list, while sides that have recently joined the Premier League are trying to keep up.
With the summer transfer window closed and no further players recruited, SalaryLeaks provides wage invoices for each team. In the case of some clubs, there is insufficient data available, hence some of the figures provided are estimations. We looked at each Premier League club’s annual pay bill, from lowest to greatest.
20Burnley – £40,200,000
Burnley, following their automatic promotion back to the promised land, are hopeful that Scott Parker’s tactics on the pitch, as well as their combination of experience and youth, can keep them in the English top flight. They’ll have to do it with the division’s lowest salary cost – which, when taken together, comes to a mere £40,200,000 – and, as a result, boss Parker and his entourage have their work cut out for them.
Kyle Walker, a six-time Premier League winner with Manchester City prior to his move to Turf Moor, is the Clarets player with the highest yearly salary, earning £3,600,000. Loum Tchaouna, Lesley Ugochuwku, Jacob Bruun Larsen, and Armando Broja follow the English right-back, who is largely regarded as one of the best defenders in Premier League history.
Burnley’s five highest earners
Player
Annual Wage
Kyle Walker
£3,600,000
Loum Tchaouna
£3,100,000
Leslie Ugochukwu
£2,600,000
Jacob Bruun Larsen
£2,300,000
Armando Broja
£2,100,000
19Wolverhampton Wanderers – £41,100,000
Despite being predicted to struggle last year, Wolverhampton Wanderers were boosted by the addition of Vitor Pereira, albeit they haven’t started the new season well with the loss of Matheus Cunha. It remains to be seen whether they can repeat their excellent accomplishments in the Portuguese’s first full season, but if they do, they will do so with one of the lowest payrolls in the Premier League. For reference, Hwang Hee-chan is their greatest earner, earning £3,600,000 each year.
Celebrated midfielder Joao Gomes is the club’s joint-highest-earning star, alongside the aforementioned Hwang, with Marshall Munetsi, Matt Doherty, and Emmanuel Agbadou also vying for that honour. With Pereira now in command of the Old Gold, fans and players alike will be hoping that the players listed above finish the season on a good note by moving up the Premier League standings.
Wolverhampton Wanderers’ five highest earners
Player
Annual Wage
Hwang Hee-Chan
£3,600,000
João Gomes
£3,600,000
Marshall Munetsi
£2,600,000
Matt Doherty
£2,600,000
Emmanuel Agbadou
£2,400,000
18Brentford – £47,900,000
If anything truly demonstrates the excellent job that Brentford’s well-drilled recruitment team has done – and continues to do year after year – at the London-based club, it is that they have the second-lowest wage bill of any club to have played in the top tier last season, yet the Bees continue to operate above their pay grade and remain a solid, and competitive, side in the division.
With the departure of talismanic forward Bryan Mbeumo, the club’s future aspirations to establish themselves as a regular team competing in the top flight will be more difficult.
If they continue to do so, it will be another evidence to how well former manager Thomas Frank performed, especially given how little money they typically spend on player salaries. Nonetheless, Aaron Hickey and Reiss Nelson are among the capital club’s highest-paid players. Dango Ouatarra, Mathias Jensen, and Keane Lewis-Potter round out the Bees’ top five earners.
Brentford’s five highest earners.
Player
Annual Wage
Reiss Nelson
£3,900,000
Aaron Hickey
£3,600,000
Dango Ouattara
£2,900,000
Mathias Jensen
£2,600,000
Keane Lewis–Potter
£2,600,000
17Sunderland – £49,600,000
Many people believe Sunderland, more than any other promoted team, will survive the relegation to England’s second tier, thanks in large part to Regis Le Bris and his squad’s superb transfer strategy. To rub shoulders with the best, the Black Cats, who won the play-off final against Sheffield United, scoured the summer transfer window for as much experience as possible, as indicated by the signings of Granit Xhaka, Nodri Mukiele, and Brian Brobbey.
It’s no surprise that the aforementioned triad of stars are among the club’s top earners. Swiss midfielder Xhaka, who spent much of his career playing for Arsenal in north London, earns the same as Mukiele: £4,700,000. Lutsharel Geertruida, who joined the English team on a temporary basis, earns £4,000,000, which is somewhat more than striker Brobbey and outstanding midfielder Habib Diarra.
Sunderland’s five highest earners.
Player
Annual Wage
Nordi Mukiele
£4,700,000
Granit Xhaka
£4,700,000
Lutsharel Geertruida.
£4,000,000
Bryan Brobbey
£3,900,000
Habib Diarra
£3,700,000
16Bournemouth – £52,900,000
Bournemouth has undergone significant development in recent years. Andoni Iraola’s entrance in the summer of 2023 was a true act of ambition on the part of the club, and they outperformed expectations during his debut season in England. Complicating matters on the pitch, the club lost star forward Dominic Solanke to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2023, but this did result in a significant reduction in the team’s pay expenditure.
They do, however, have numerous high-earners on the roster, like Justin Kluivert, son of football legend Patrick and Ryan Christie, and Luis Sinisterra. Antoine Semenyo, the Cherries’ poster boy who has been scouted by many potential purchasers in recent years, earns £3,900,000 per year. In comparison to their Premier League counterparts, they nevertheless have a cheap pay bill.
Bournemouth’s five highest earners
Player
Annual Wage
Evanlison
£4,200,000
Justin Kluivert
£4,200,000
Antoine Semenyo
£3,900,000
Ryan Christie
£3,60,000
Luis Sinisterra
£3,400,000
15Brighton & Hove Albion – £53,100,000
As with Brentford, Brighton & Hove Albion – and, in particular, their recruitment genius over the years – deserve a lot of respect for the enviable way the football club has been run from top to bottom. With manager Fabian Hurzeler at the helm, the German tactician’s tenure has begun promisingly, although there have been some setbacks along the way.
With a rather youthful group in general, the Seagulls do not have many high-earning players on their books in comparison to other teams, with full-back Ferdi Kadioglu at the top of the list. The Turkish defender joined from Fenerbahce in 2024 and quickly became the highest-paid player on the coast. Other high-earners on the team include Kaoru Mitoma, Lewis Dunk, Danny Welbeck, and former Leeds United talisman Georginio Rutter, who earns £3,900,000 per year.
Brighton and Hove Albion’s five highest earners
Player
Annual Wage
Ferdik Kadioglu
£4,500,000
Kaoru Mitoma.
£4,200,000
Lewis Dunk
£4,200,000
Georginio Rutter
£3,900,000
Danny Welbeck
£3,100,000
14Leeds United – £60,200,000
Daniel Farke and Leeds United, along with Sunderland and Burnley, will be striving to stay afloat in May 2025. The Whites will be expected to do better, given how easily they won the Championship last time around. Back in the big time, things have begun rather well, but Farke’s players will need to work hard to escape relegation, and they’ll be hoping that Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s arrival will help.
The out-of-sorts English striker, who was signed from Everton, has enough of Premier League experience; however, can his arrival provide Leeds with the firepower they seek? The Elland Road fans will be hoping so, as he is their greatest earner with £6,200,000. Jack Harrison (£4,700,000) and Patrick Bamford (£3,600,000) are likewise well compensated up north.
Leeds United’s five highest earners
Player
Annual Wage
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
£6,200,000
Jack Harrison
£4,700,000
Patrick Bamford
£3,600,000
Sebastian Bornauw
£3,600,000
Sean Longstaff
£3,600,000
13Crystal Palace – £65,400,000
A resurgent Crystal Palace squad turned their form around after Oliver Glasner’s arrival, thanks in large part to last season’s FA Cup victory, with Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze serving as the primary catalysts. The former was one of the club’s best earners, but his move to Bayern Munich this summer has upended the apple cart. The latter has now moved on, this time to Arsenal.
The two forwards were among the team’s best earners before to their departures, but Daichi Kamada has now taken their place. The 29-year-old spent a year at Lazio before joining Selhurst Park last summer, when he was given the highest wage in South London. Eddie Nketiah, Yeremy Pino, and keeper Dean Henderson also receive large salaries, with over £100,000 entering their bank accounts each week.
Crystal Palace’s five highest earners.
Player
Annual Wage
Daichi Kamada
£5,200,000
Dean Henderson
£5,200,000
Eddie Nketiah
£4,700,000
Yermi Pino
£4,700,000
Ismaila Sarr
£3,600,000
12Fulham – £71,500,000
Despite losing its out-and-out talisman, Aleksander Mitrovic, to the riches of the Saudi Pro League in the summer of 2023, Fulham have continued to outperform expectations in subsequent seasons, finishing comfortably in the Premier League. That’s because manager Marco Silva has assembled a strong group capable of avoiding relegation, all while operating on a little budget.
Bernd Leno, the former Arsenal custodian, is the highest earner at Craven Cottage by a long shot, while Raul Jimenez, Alex Iwobi, and Joachim Andersen are also well-paid. With two of their top earners being former Arsenal players, it wouldn’t be shocking if Emile Smith Rowe, whose Fulham career has yet to begin, was also earning a high weekly salary.
Fulham’s five highest earners
Player
Annual Wage
Bernd Leno
£6,800,000
Raul Jimenez
£6,200,000
Joachim Andersen
£4,700,000
Alex Iwobi
£4,200,000
Samuel Chukwueze
£4,200,000
11Everton – £71,700,000
While Brighton and Brentford are frequently complimented for being very well-run clubs that punch far above their weight in terms of finances, Everton, currently managed by the experienced David Moyes, are virtually the polar opposite, given how badly they’ve battled in previous seasons. However, their hefty pay expenditure has not translated into on-field success in recent years.
This has been the case for as long as supporters can recall, but they have gradually begun to reduce their payroll with players like Amadou Onana and Andre Gomes, who were paid well and will leave in the summer of 2024.
The team has been dragged into relegation battles for several seasons in a row, despite its on-paper strong defence line, which is led by Jordan Pickford and Jarrad Branthwaite, who make £6,500,000 and £6,200,000, respectively. As a result, the two are among the highest-paid permanent fixtures on the blue half of Merseyside. Jack Grealish, on loan from Manchester City, earns a staggering £11,700,000.
Everton’s five highest earners.
Player
Annual Wage
Jack Grealish
£11,700,000
Jordan Pickford
£6,500,000
Jarrad Branthwaite
£6,200,000
Idrissa Gueye
£6,200,000
James Tarkowski
£5,200,000
10West Ham United – £71,800,000
Those linked with West Ham United saw their ambitions skyrocket following the sale of Declan Rice in the summer of 2023. The Hammers paid a large amount for the centre midfielder, and they’ve used the money to recruit rather well, paying whatever it took to secure the players they wanted while also offering respectable compensation.
After an impressive performance last year despite the overall low mood in east London, superstar Jarrod Bowen was rewarded with a new contract, and he is now the club’s joint highest earner, taking home £7,800,000 per year alongside the Hammers’ most talented player, Lucas Paqueta, who has sparked interest from other clubs in England’s top flight. Alphonse Areola, Max Kilman, and James Ward-Prowse are all earning at least £100,000 per week.
West Ham United’s five highest earners
Player
Annual Wage
Jarrod Bowen
£7,800,000
Lucas Paqueta
£7,800,000
Alphonse Areola
£6,200,000
James Ward-Prowse
£6,000,000
Max Kilman
£5,200,000
9Nottingham Forest – £84,200,000
Nottingham Forest won promotion back to the Premier League in 2022 after more than two decades away, and they didn’t hold back when it came to signing players who they believed would offer them the best chance of staying in the top tier.
Over the last few years, the club has added a staggering number of talents, and they haven’t been reluctant to pay its new players much. They dominated the Premier League in 2024/25, but with players like Morgan Gibbs-White and Chris Wood making good money at the City Ground, they’re certainly willing to pay high wages to stay at the top of England’s top division.
It is unclear whether it is sustainable. Nikola Milenkovic, one of the Premier League’s best centre-backs right now, is the club’s second-highest earner, at £5,500,000 each year. Douglas Luiz, on loan from Juventus, earns an eye-catching £7,800,000 every season.
Nottingham Forest’s five highest earners
Player
Annual Wage
Douglas Luiz
£7,800,000
Nikola Milenkovic
£5,500,000
Chris Wood
£5,200,000
Morgan Gibbs-White
£5,200,000
Dan Ndoye
£4,400,000
8Newcastle United – £101,700,000
Eddie Howe and his Newcastle United team have been allowed to spend significantly more money than they did under the previous administration since their well-documented takeover in October 2021, and on-field performances have shown that an injection of cash has paid off. The aforementioned Howe has been trusted to bring in a huge number of players to create his ideal squad to achieve their goal of regular European competition.
Bruno Guimaraes, one of the club’s most successful signings since the big-money takeover, is the highest-paid player at St. James’ Park, earning £7,800,000 per year, the same as Joelinton. Anthony Gordon’s strong play earned him a contract extension in October 2024, with the English winger now earning £6,500,000 annually. Newcomers Nick Woltemade and Sandro Tonali are likewise well compensated.
Newcastle United’s top five earnings
Player
Annual Wage
Bruno Guimarães
£7,800,000
Joelinton
£7,800,000
Anthony Gordon
£6,500,000
Nick Woltemade
£6,200,000
Sandro Tonali
£6,200,000
7Aston Villa – £106,600,000
After creating history by qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in decades for the 2024/25 season, it’s no surprise that Unai Emery’s Aston Villa are spending so much money on player salaries each year. Boubacar Kamara and Emiliano Martinez are the club’s two highest-paid assets at the moment, earning £8,800,000 and £7,800,000 per year, respectively.
Jadon Sancho signed on a temporary basis this summer, and he has become the club’s third-highest earning, possibly due to his departure from free-spending Manchester United. The winger gets a hefty £7,300,000 per year, while midfielder Amadou Onana makes £6,800,000. If the Villains have similar success and advance far in this season’s Europa League, it wouldn’t be surprising if their salary increased more as they recruited even better quality.
Aston Villa’s five highest earners
Player
Annual Wage
Boubacar Kamara
£8,800,000
Emiliano Martinez
£7,800,000
Jadon Sancho
£7,300,000
Donyell Malen
£7,300,000
Amadu Onana
£6,800,000
6Tottenham Hotspur – £127,100,000
Tottenham Hotspur, the first of the Premier League’s big six to appear on this list, has the lowest payroll of any of the teams regarded the best in English football. Thomas Frank’s roster is well-balanced in terms of salary, with some high-earning players like Xavi Simons and James Maddison with plenty of younger players making more moderate numbers per week.
New signing Simons is Spurs’ highest-paid player, tied with the ruthless defender Cristian Romero, who makes the same amount, while Dejan Kulusevski, recognised as one of the best footballers born in 2000, is also one of the club’s wealthiest members. He earns £5,700,000 per year, trailing only Randal Kolo Muani and Joao Palhinha, who are both on loan. They can now afford to spend more money after winning the Europa League final.
Tottenham Hotspur’s five highest earners
Player
Annual Wage
Xavi Simons
£10,400,000
Christian Romero
£10,400,000
James Maddison
£8,800,000
João Palhinha
£8,600,000
Randal Kolo Muani
£7,800,000
5Manchester United – £139,000,000
Manchester United’s payroll has dropped to the sixth highest in the Premier League, which may surprise some. With the amount of money flowing into the club through various means, there have always been enormous contracts on offer to play at Old Trafford, as evidenced by the fact that a number of players in the squad earn more than £10 million each year.
Former Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro leads the way with a staggering weekly salary of £300,000, while captain Bruno Fernandes earns the same amount. Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho’s exits, albeit on loan, have reduced the strain on their wage expenditure this season. Mason Mount is also one of Old Trafford’s greatest earners, demonstrating that the Red Devils have not always spent their money wisely. However, we didn’t get much of a reminder about overpaying with United.
Manchester United’s five highest earners
Player
Annual Wage
Casemiro
£15,600,000
Bruno Fernandes
£15,600,000
Mason Mount
£10,400,000
Matthijs De Ligt
£8,400,000
Harry Maguire
£8,400,000
4Chelsea – £149,900,000
Surprisingly, there are still three other English Premier League clubs with greater pay bills than Chelsea, despite the fact that the Blues have spent well over £1 billion in the Todd Boehly era to strengthen an already-bloated roster. Two distinct £100 million+ signings, both in the engine room, have occurred throughout that time, along with a slew of costly contracts.
The exits of Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, and Antonio Rudiger in recent years have helped keep yearly wages lower than predicted, albeit they still fall just short of £150 million each year. Loan departures have helped to balance the payroll, although Reece James, Raheem Sterling, and Wesley Fofana continue to command high salaries.
Chelsea’s five highest earners.
Player
Annual Wage
Raheem Sterling
£16,900,000
Reece James
£13,000,000
Wesley Fofana
£12,000,000
Enzo Fernández
£9,400,000
Marc Cucurella
£8,400,000
3Liverpool – £155,300,000
Mohamed Salah’s new deal in 2025 makes him the highest-paid player at Anfield by a substantial margin. He earns a base salary of £400,000 each week, although club captain Virgil van Dijk earns £50,000 less.
Liverpool’s success under Jurgen Klopp has resulted in larger contracts for players who have consistently delivered on the pitch – and this will continue to be the case as they look to add to their trophy collection in the post-Klopp era, with Arne Slot in the dugout.
Hugo Ekitike, Alexander Isak, and Florian Wirtz, three of the club’s major summer additions, are all among its top five earners. With the appointment of manager Slot, the club is in the midst of a new era, and it remains to be seen whether this one will be as fruitful as the last.
Liverpool’s five highest earners.
Player
Annual Wage
Mohamed Salah
£20,800,000
Virgil Van Dijk
£18,200,000
Alexander Isak
£13,000,000
Hugo Ekitike
£10,400,000
Florian Wirtz
£10,400,000
2Arsenal – £168,800,000
Arsenal have come close to winning the Premier League in consecutive seasons, but Mikel Arteta’s side has fallen short each time. The money-making choice to go on from coming so near to the title was made, and a lot of money has been spent solely to add to the existing wage bill, which includes large salaries for players such as Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard.
Kai Havertz and Declan Rice, widely regarded as two of the best Premier League midfielders currently, earn more than £200,000 each week, bringing their total wage outlay to an eye-catching £168,800,000. It’s unbelievable that the north London-based firm isn’t even the most opulent spenders in terms of pay, with that amount paid annually.
Arsenal’s five highest earners.
Player
Annual Wage
Kai Havertz
£13,200,000
Declan Rice
£11,700,000
Martin Odegaard
£11,400,000
Gabriel Jesus
£11,400,000
Victor Gyokeres
£10,400,000
1Manchester City – £188,400,000
Manchester City, led by the charismatic Pep Guardiola, are the division’s four-time champions between 2020/21 and 2023/2024. They are also the largest pay spenders, spending just shy of £200,000,000 per year, more than double that of Nottingham Forest. Even with midfielder Kevin De Bruyne’s earnings off the books!
Erling Haaland, who signed a nine-and-a-half year contract worth £26,000,000 per year, is the club’s highest-paid player. With great expenditure comes large rewards, as manager Guardiola has all but stamped his influence on perhaps the world’s biggest league, winning many Premier League trophies and securing a treble-winning season a few years back.
Manchester City’s five highest earners
Player
Annual Wage
Erling Haaland
£26,000,000
Bernardo Silva
£15,600,000
Omar Marmoush
£13,400,000
Gianluca Donnarumma
£13,000,000
John Stones
£13,000,000
Wages for each Premier League club in 2024/25
Rank
Club
Annual Wage Bill
1.
Manchester City
£188,400,000 2.
Arsenal
£168,800,000
3.
Liverpool
£155,300,000
4.
Chelsea
£149,900,000
5.
Manchester United
£139,000,000
6.
Tottenham Hotspur
£127,100,000
7.
Aston Villa
£106,600,000
8.
Newcastle United
£101,700,000
9.
Nottingham Forest
£84,200,000
10.
West Ham United
£71,800,000
11.
Everton
£71,700,000
12.
Fulham
£71,500,000
13.
Crystal Palace
£65,400,000
14.
Leeds United
£60,200,000
15.
Brighton & Hove Albion
£53,100,000
16.
Bournemouth
£52,900,000
17.
Sunderland
£49,600,000
18.
Brentford
£47,900,000
19.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
£41,100,000
20.
Burnley
£40,200,000
xz
