Who are the highest paid footballers in Premier League?

England’s Premier League is the world’s wealthiest domestic division and clubs operating in the country’s top tier wield the kind of financial clout that teams from other nations can only dream of.

With the Premier League awash with cash, the competition’s best players and biggest names routinely earn eye-watering sums of money with pay packets full to bursting with mammoth salaries, bonuses and perks.

Big wages don’t always translate into big performances however, and many of the league’s highest earners have bank balances that look out of whack with their achievements on the pitch.

Sports financial website Sportrac have compiled a rundown of the highest-paid footballers in England which gives us an opponent to analyse whether or not the Premier League’s richest stars are worth their weight in gold.

So, who are the highest-paid players in the Premier League? Find out below.

Kevin De Bruyne – Manchester City: £20,800,000 per season

Manchester City’s Belgian maestro Kevin de Bruyne is officially the Premier League’s best-paid player, earning a sizzling £400,000 for his work with the treble winners.

The 31-year-old creative midfielder, who notched 23 goal contributions in 28 Premier League starts in 2022/23, has been one of the division’s most consistent and explosive performers over the past five years, fully justifying his enormous salary.

De Bruyne penned his latest contract extension with City back in 2021 and the ex-Chelsea starlet will pull in his big weekly wage until 2025 at the earliest.

Weekly Wage: £400,00

Erling Haaland – Manchester City: £19,500,000 per season

Norwegian goal-machine Erling Haaland joins teammate Kevin De Bruyne near the summit of the highest-paid players list and the prolific 22-year-old is believed to earn £375,000 for his prowess in the final third.

There have been other whispers to suggest that Haaland has been pocketing closer to £1m per week at City and it is easy to believe that the former Dortmund striker earns that much through bonuses for goals scored.

Haaland bagged a staggering 52 goals in 50 appearances in all competitions during his maiden campaign in sky blue which was the biggest overall haul of his career so far.

Weekly Wage: £375,000

Mohamed Salah – Liverpool: £18,200,000 per season

With David de Gea now officially a free agent, Mohamed Salah has jumped into the top three for wages earned in the Premier League and the Egyptian icon is paid £350,000 per week at Liverpool, according to Sportrac’s figures.

Salah’s contract wrangle with the Reds turned into a bit of a frustrating saga before he signed on the dotted line for another three years in 2022, smashing the club’s rigid pay structure in the process.

The 31-year-old has topped 20 goals in four of his six seasons in the Premier League with Liverpool and the winger finished with 30+ goals in all competitions for the third season running in 2022/23.

Weekly Wage: £350,000

Jadon Sancho – Manchester United: £18,200,000 per season

Manchester United chased wonderkid Jadon Sancho’s signature for a couple of years before finally landing their primary target in a bumper £93m transfer from Borussia Dortmund in 2021, however, the attacker has failed to live up to his billing since.

Sancho’s displays at Old Trafford has been frustratingly inconsistent and the 23-year-old has been in and out of the starting XI under successive managers since his arrival.

The former Man City academy graduate did showcase his potential in fits and starts under Erik ten Hag last season, though his haul of seven goals and three assists in 29 starts in all competitions was still a modest return for a player of his talents. When you compare Sancho to the other names listed here, it becomes all too apparent that United are not getting value for their money.

Weekly Wage: 350,000

Raphael Varane – Manchester United: £17,680,000 per season

Raphael Varane arrived at Man Utd amid much fanfare in 2021 when he jetted in with a fine collection of medals from Real Madrid. The former Les Blues international’s time with the Red Devils has been plagued by injuries, though the 30-year-old did show his class when he was fit and available for Erik ten Hag last season.

A player with Varane’s pedigree was always going to command considerable compensation for his services and at the time of writing, the centre-half was the best-paid defender in the entire Premier League.

Varane formed an excellent partnership with Lisandro Martinez at the heart of the United defence last term and ten Hag will hope to build more success on that solid platform in 2023/24.

Weekly Wage: £340,000

Raheem Sterling – Chelsea: £16,900,000 per season

Chelsea’s capture of wide attacker Raheem Sterling last summer was considered a bit of a coup after the England international’s impactful performances for both Man City and the Three Lions, but like many of the Blues’ recent acquisitions, things haven’t quite worked out as of yet.

Sterling is pulling in more wages than any of his Chelsea teammates, though the 28-year-old’s displays have been hot and cold and the forward managed to net just six times in the Premier League last term, his lowest haul for a campaign since 2012/13.

Like many of his counterparts at Stamford Bridge, Sterling’s form seemed to suffer due to the incredible overhaul of playing staff and the upheaval in the dugout. Sterling should look more like his old self when helped by the stabilizing presence of new Chelsea boss, Mauricio Pochettino, next season.

Weekly Wage: £325,000

Jack Grealish – Manchester City: £15,600,000 per season

Manchester City parted with £100m to wrangle enigmatic winger Jack Grealish away from Aston Villa in 2021, though critics went in as heavy as one of the 27-year-old’s markers after a slow start to his career with the Premier League champions.

However, Grealish eventually found his feet and performed like a world-class player during City’s treble-winning campaign in 2022/23 and though his return of five goals and seven assists in the league has a modest hue, the flanksman was an influential figure throughout.

Grealish earns £300,000 per week at City, though he and pretty much every member of Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering outfit can probably demand that kind of salary with plenty of justification.

Weekly Wage: £300,000

Casemiro – Manchester United: £15,600,000 per season

Plenty of eyebrows were raised late last summer when United agreed to pay approximately £60m to sign the then 30-year-old Casemiro from Real Madrid, though the hard-hitting anchorman has proven his worth and then some since.

Casemiro, who is a five-time Champions League winner, landed in Manchester when the Red Devils were in an early-season mess under Erik ten Hag, though the Brazilian – described as the “cement between the stones” by his new boss – had an immediate impact on results.

A one-man wrecking ball in midfield, Casemiro also showed a more subtle, technical side to his game and even chipped in with seven goals and four assists in all comps for United. The anchorman missed far too many matches through suspension however, and ten Hag will want him to clean up his act next season.

Weekly Wage: 300,000

Enzo Fernandez – Chelsea: £15,470,000 per season

Chelsea made Enzo Fernandez the poster boy of their whirlwind rebuild when they parted with over £100m to bring the Argentinean midfielder to Stamford Bridge from Portuguese heavyweights Benfica in January.

Immediately installed as the second-highest earner at the Blues, the 22-year-old has been earning £297,500 per week with his new employers, though it might be too early to insist that the schemer is being paid his worth.

Fernandez was a World Cup winner with his country last year, though he made just 17 appearances for Benfica before Chelsea snapped him up. His passing range has been easy on the eye in the Premier League, though the deep-lying playmaker still has plenty to prove.

Weekly Wage: £297,500

Gabriel Jesus – Arsenal: £13,780,000

Dynamic Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus spearheaded the Arsenal attack last season and his superb efforts in the final third almost led Mikel Arteta’s Gunners to unexpected Premier League title glory before the club’s late collapse.

Jesus was recruited from Manchester City last summer and his arrival in North London immediately sparked a rapid upswing in fortunes at The Emirates Stadium. The 26-year-old’s first season was hampered by injuries, though he still provided 11 Premier League goals and six assists.

When you dissect some of the wages paid out for other players in the Premier League, Gabriel Jesus’s £265,500 weekly salary seems modest in comparison.

Weekly Wage: £265,500