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The Serie A is one of the top five leagues across Europe and boasts of some of the very best players in the world, such as Cristiano Ronaldo. Italy's top flight also contains a host of highly-talented players plying their trades with legendary clubs like Juventus, Inter Milan, and AC Milan.
Although the effect of new money has not been quite so discernible in the Italian top flight, transfer and wage records do end up being broken in nearly every new transfer window.
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As one might expect, Juventus are the biggest spenders in the league and have a massive £213 million per year wage bill. Though the Bianconeri stars are some of the best-paid players in the division, Inter Milan, Napoli and Roma also compensate their players fairly well.
Here, we take a look at the 10 highest-paid players in the Italian top flight (wages considered as per their most recent contacts irrespective of the pay cut on account of COVID-19 if any).
(Note: The weekly wages are as reported by Sillyseason and Sportekz, the actual wages could vary as these figures are only an estimate taken from various sources. All Stats as of 11 January 2021.)
#T5 Alexis Sanchez (Inter Milan) - £225,000 per week
Former Manchester United forward Alexis Sanchez is one of the top-paid players in the Serie A. After a one-year loan spell at Inter Milan, he extended his stay by signing a three-year deal at the beginning of the current season.
Although his weekly wage took a hit when he made the switch from United to Inter permanent, Sanchez still earns £225,000 per week under his new contract.
Alexis has not been able to reach similar heights that he reached for Arsenal in the last couple of seasons. However, he has been consistent with his national side and, with 45 goals to his name, is Chile's all-time top goalscorer.
#T5 Adrien Rabiot (Juventus) - £225,000 per week
The first Juventus player on this list is 24-year-old Adrien Rabiot. The midfielder joined the Old Lady in the summer of 2019 on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain after both parties failed to reach an agreement over an improved contract.
Having avoided paying any hard cash in transfer fees for the talented, 25-year-old midfielder, Juventus handed him a massive wage boost. Under his contract with the Turin-based club, the France international earns £225,000 per week.
#T5 Aaron Ramsey (Juventus) - £225,000 per week
Another Juventus free signing from the 2019-20 season, Aaron Ramsey joins the list as he pockets £225,000 per week as well.
The former Arsenal midfielder has been intermittently used by managers at the Allianz Stadium over the last year and a half. He has failed to establish himself as a regular starter in the Serie A, or any other competition for that matter.
Ramsey has made 11 appearances in Serie A this season and opened his account for the 2020-21 campaign in Juve's 3-1 win over Sassuolo yesterday.
#T5 Zlatan Ibrahimovic (AC Milan) - £225,000 per week
There are many astonishing things about AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. At the age of 39, he is still operating as though he's in his prime and has scored 10 goals in the Serie A in just seven appearances.
A 39-year-old footballer playing in a demanding competition like the Serie A might be considered as an accomplishment itself. After all, most players move to leagues like the MLS to spend the final years of their careers in relatively unchallenging surroundings.
Unless Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi end up matching Ibrahimovic's longevity, we don't think there'll ever be a footballer who can command £225,000 in weekly wages at the age of 39.
Also See: Top 10 football players with the most fans in the world
#4 Paulo Dybala (Juventus) - £230,000 per week
Paulo Dybala is acknowledged to be one of the most talented players in the Serie A, so it is no surprise he is handsomely compensated by Juventus for his services.
The striker, who joined Juventus in 2015 from Palermo, has scored 70 goals in the Serie A for the club since his arrival. While he has struggled for form in recent fixtures, he was named the Serie A MVP for the 2019-20 campaign and has the ability to justify his £230,000 a week salary.
#T3 Edin Dzeko (AS Roma) - £240,000 per week
In the current scenario where player valuations and salaries are going through the roof, it is difficult to find players who actually justify their weekly wages. AS Roma striker Edin Dzeko is one of the few players who has earned the right to be his side's top-earning player, with reliable output in front of the goal for the Giallorossi.
His £240,000 per week salary might seem a bit too much for a player approaching the twilight of his career. However, Dzeko is an important player for Roma and has seven goals in 14 outings league outings this season.
#T3 Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan) - £250,000 per week
Strikers are usually the best-paid players in a football team. While it may seem a bit unfair at first sight, it does make sense given the kind of impact No.9s can have on the outcome of any given game.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic's arrival at the San Siro has helped AC Milan stay at the top of the Serie A standings this season. And a similar kind of effect has been observed at their city rivals Inter.
Romelu Lukaku's £74 million transfer in 2019 was a huge gamble on Antonio Conte's part. Fortunately, the Belgian striker has been prolific in front of goal for the club and is slowly proving himself worth every penny.
He is the club's joint-top earner and takes home £250,000 per week, which is roughly the same amount he was paid by former employers, Manchester United.
Also See: 5 Outstanding players who left Arsenal on a free transfer
#T3 Christian Eriksen (Inter Milan) - £250,000 per week
Inter Milan have signed many new players over the last two seasons. Most of these signings such as Ashley Young, Lukaku, Achraf Hakimi, and Arturo Vidal have all had brilliant starts to their careers in the Serie A.
Christian Eriksen, who signed a four-and-a-half-year deal with the Nerazzurri last January remains an exception. The former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder has failed to settle in properly at the club. He earns the same amount as Lukaku but his performances have been nowhere near as impressive as the Belgian's.
Club CEO Giuseppe Marotta had confirmed last month that Inter are already looking to offload the creative midfielder and have added Eriksen and his £250,000 per week wages to the transfer list.
#2 Matthijs de Ligt (Juventus) - £280,000 per week
Matthijs de Ligt, the 21-year-old defender, is currently the second best-paid player in the Serie A. It is a rarity to see a player from the defensive end of the pitch feature so high in the weekly wages list. But, given the Dutchman's enormous potential, it is a smart move from Juventus to have him commit his long-term future with the club with a bumper deal.
Matthijs de Ligt had missed a significant amount of playtime in 2020 due to injuries but when he is fully fit, he is one of the best defensive players on the field. He is set to miss the next two games though, as he tested positive for COVID-19 last week.
Although £280,000-a-week looks like a massive sum, if de Ligt continues his current growth trajectory, he will soon be one of the best centre-backs in the game. This deal could very well look like a steal in the near future.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus) - £520,563 per week
Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-paid player in the Serie A by some margin. As per Football Italia, his annual salary puts a dent of £28 million in Juventus' books, and this is after he agreed to a pay cut on account of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This eye-catching figure is still almost half of what rival Lionel Messi takes home at Barcelona. Cristiano Ronaldo rakes in millions from his huge endorsement deals and social media posts every year, which accounts for more than half of all his annual earnings.
Ronaldo is showing no signs of slowing down and ended 2020 as the highest-scoring player in league fixtures in the calendar year. He currently leads the race for Capocannoniere, with 15 goals in 13 appearances.
Also See: The 10 highest-paid goalkeepers in the world
