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Football is one of the richest sports in the world, and there is no wonder that a few of the footballers earn a hefty amount of wages. There are players who are terribly underpaid despite their effective contributions and consistency for the club, and there some who are insanely overpaid for their services.
Before you raise questions, Leo Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr, etc are the highest paid footballers in Europe, but cannot be considered overpaid because of their unbelievable quality and the number of goals they score on a consistent basis.
In the Premier League, players like Kevin De Bruyne and David De Gea earns a huge salary but their performances justify the hefty amount they are being paid. The names included in this article are of those players, who have been pretty inconsistent and inefficient for their side, yet are on staggering contracts.
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#4 Henrikh Mkhitaryan (£180,000 per week)
The Armenian playmaker joined the Gunners just last year, in a swap deal which included one of Arsenal's best players, Alexis Sanchez. The swap sent shockwaves across the world and Manchester United fans were delighted to know the news, as Sanchez was one of the best in the Premier League back then.
Arsene Wenger, in return, had to settle with Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who was on a bad spell at the Manchester club. But Mkhitaryan signed a healthy contract with the Gunners, that saw him earning nearly £180k a week, much more than Kolasinac, Bellerin, Torreira, Leno, etc who have been much more clinical and impressive than the Armenian.
To add more to it, Henrikh Mkhitaryan stays with the Gunners till 2021, and the burden of an exorbitant wage bill will create many problems for the Arsenal board in the future.
#3 Romelu Lukaku (£200,000 per week)
Romelu Lukaku joined the Manchester side in the summer transfer market of 2017, for a stunning fee of 75 million from Everton. He was one of the best in Everton's squad, and his goalscoring record against the top 6 was very impressive. In addition to that, his stats with Belgium proved that he was a clinical striker.
His transfer fee was a bit high but still pretty good compared to other transfers in this inflated market. He was offered massive wages to join United and he accepted the offer.
However, since his transfer, the Belgian has been the subject of countless jokes and trolls, due to his incredibly terrible first touch, consistency, and open-goal misses. The media has been very rude to him and the fans who once supported him were slowly moving away from the fact that he isn't a world class striker anymore.
In 16 league appearances, Lukaku has scored just six times. He is yet to score a goal in the UCL this term, despite being in the line up five times. Fair to say that Romelu Lukaku is insanely overpaid!
#2 Mesut Ozil (£350,000 per week)
The German playmaker is the highest earning player at the Emirates. His time with Arsenal alongside the Chilean star Alexis Sanchez earned them much respect and love from the Gunners.
Mesut Ozil was on the verge of leaving as well, but Arsene Wenger was reluctant in letting him go. The German was offered a heavy contract just a few weeks after Alexis' departure, which saw him earning a massive £350k a week.
However, Mesut's new boss Unai Emery is reportedly uninspired and unimpressed by the services offered by Ozil. Ozil has started just nine games this season.
The 30-year-old has bagged three goals and an assist, but his performances do not justify the enormous wage he is receiving. Mesut Ozil was dispossessed six times in the last game, highest in Arsenal's squad. And that is the reason why he is being dropped from the squad time and time again.
It is yet to be seen whether Ozil's future lies with Arsenal.
#1 Alexis Sanchez (£400,000 per week)
Former Arsenal's star Alexis Sanchez joined Manchester United after agreeing to a £400k a week wages at Old Trafford. It was a swap deal involving Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who joined Arsenal. Alexis Sanchez was also paid a massive £30 million signing-on fee. He is also the highest earning player in the Premier League right now.
However, Alexis Sanchez has been terrible for the English side, scoring just three goals since his move to United. On the other hand, Mkhitaryan has bagged seven goals in 20 appearances for the Gunners, with 5 assists as well.
Because of his poor form, the board is ready to offload him as his wages are a significant problem for the club. Since his transfer, the Chilean international has made only 17 Premier League starts for Manchester United.
