5 Premier League clubs with the highest wage bill at the moment

Manchester City and Chelsea boast a hefty wage bill, but who tops the list?
Manchester City and Chelsea boast a hefty wage bill, but who tops the list?

#3 Manchester City - £149,032,000

Manchester City v Norwich City - Premier League
Manchester City v Norwich City - Premier League

Manchester City rank third on the list of Premier League clubs with the highest wage bills. City have made some brilliant signings in the last few years and boast arguably the best squad in the Premier League. They have an unbelievable mix of talented youngsters and experienced campaigners.

Under Pep Guardiola's guidance, the club has managed to win three of the last four Premier League titles. Manchester City also broke the record for the most expensive line-up in football history when they faced Spurs on the opening weekend of the season.

The reigning Premier League champions recently broke the British transfer record for Jack Grealish, who became the club's joint second-highest earner at £300,000 per week alongside Raheem Sterling.

City's star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne is their highest earner, bagging wages of £400,000-per-week. John Stones, who recently signed a new five-year contract, is the fourth highest earner in the squad with £250,000-per-week.

Despite starting their Premier League campaign with a defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, City have bounced back with successive 5-0 wins over Norwich City and Arsenal. As such, they are still favorites to retain the Premier League title this season.

However, with other teams having improved their squads, Guardiola knows he will have his work cut out this season.


#2 Chelsea - £155,114,000

Manchester City v Chelsea FC - UEFA Champions League Final
Manchester City v Chelsea FC - UEFA Champions League Final

Chelsea have spent heavily in the transfer market since Roman Abramovich took over in 2003. They have always looked to bring in the best players at the club. So it is no surprise that they have the second-highest wage bill in the Premier League. This has definitely benefitted them as they have been the most successful English club in the 21st century.

The Blues recently won the UEFA Champions League in May before going on to lift the UEFA Super Cup earlier this month. They currently boast one of the best squads in the Premier League.

Although Chelsea have not been extremely busy in the transfer window, they have brought back one of the most in-form strikers in Romelu Lukaku to the Premier League.

The Belgian is now the highest paid player at the club, with a wage of £325,000 per week. N'Golo Kante and Timo Werner follow him with wages of £290,000 and £272,000 respectively while Champions League final hero Kai Havertz earns £150,000 a week. Academy starlet Mason Mount is on a modest wage of £88,000 while Reece James bags just £58,000 per week.

Chelsea boast a squad that is more than capable of challenging for the Premier League title. They have already made a brilliant start to the new season, winning their games against Crystal Palace and Arsenal in comfortable fashion. With confidence running high within the club and the squad, fans will expect a lot from Thomas Tuchel and Chelsea this season.


#1 Manchester United - £228,986,200

Manchester United v Leeds United - Premier League
Manchester United v Leeds United - Premier League

Manchester United have failed to win the Premier League title since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club. They have come close on one or two occasions but have always been pipped by another team for the title. However, there is certainly a sense of optimism among fans this summer, with players like Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo arriving at the club.

Following his dramatic return to Old Trafford, Ronaldo is the highest-earner at Manchester United, earning £510,000 per week.

Goalkeeper David De Gea is the second-highest earner at the club, with wages of £375,000 per week. It's certainly high for a player whose performances have not been up to the mark in recent years.

Summer signings Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane are behind De Gea with wages of £350,000 and £340,000 per week respectively. The likes of Paul Pogba, Edinson Cavani and Anthony Martial also earn wages above £250,000.

Bruno Fernandes, who has made such a huge impact at the club with his talent and leadership since joining in January 2020, only makes a relatively lesser wage of £180,000.

Manchester United's wage bill definitely seems to be a bloated one and might need trimming in order to balance the books in the future.

Putting that aside, United definitely have some of the best players in the Premier League. If Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can find the right balance, get consistent performances from key players and rotate the squad efficiently, the league title could finally return to Old Trafford.

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Edited by Nived Zenith
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