Comparing Watford and Luton Town's highest paid player | OneFootball

There is little love lost between Watford and Luton Town.

The pair will not face each other this season but that will do little to ease the fiery rivalry they share.

Both teams have spent time in the Premier League in recent years, with the Hatters currently enjoying their debut top-flight campaign and Watford last playing there in 2021/22.

The top tier brings with it some sizeable salaries and with that in mind, we've used Capology's estimations to compare Luton and the Hornets' highest earners...

Jamal Lewis is estimated to be Watford's highest-paid player

According to Capology, Jamal Lewis is estimated to be the highest-paid player at Watford this season following his loan move from Newcastle United in the summer.

The Northern Irish defender is estimated to be on £38,000 per week at the London club, although it is unknown if they are paying the full wages for the Newcastle player.

Given his high wage, it is hard to say that the Hornets are getting value for their money. The former Norwich player has played 23 times in the Championship so far this season and has not been particularly impressive.

Watford have kept just one clean sheet when Lewis has been involved while the defender boasts some concerning defensive statistics. As per Fotmob, he ranks in the bottom 50% of full-backs for tackle success, recoveries, and numbers of times dribbled past per 90, in the bottom 17% for duel success, the bottom 11% for interceptions, and the bottom 10% for duels won.

However, the entire Watford defence has been disappointing so far, conceding 41 times in 31 Championship games, so it would be tough on Lewis to blame it entirely on him.

His defensive frailties could be forgiven for a more positive attacking output, but the on-loan Lewis has only managed one assist all season, with 1.29 expected assists in the league.

Luton are paying Lokonga an estimated £50,000 per week

After joining on loan from Arsenal in the summer, Albert Sambi Lokonga became the player with the highest estimated wages at Luton this season.

Capology estimate that Lokonga is being paid £50,000 per week, which is a huge sum compared to the rest of their team but again, it is unclear what chunk of that the Hatters are paying.

The midfielder didn't get a chance in the team for most of the season but started performing well once he was given a significant run in the starting eleven in December 2023.

His 0.24 assists per game is among the highest in the league, while his passing and long ball accuracy also put him among the top 10% of passers in the division.

He has impressed since becoming a more consistent starter in the Hatters' midfield and it's no coincidence that has come during an upturn in form but you'd question whether they're getting value for money as he's managed just 12 appearances this term.

Watford are getting the better deal than Luton for their top earner, but that could change in the second half of the season.

With the huge wages being handed to Lokonga, it is hard to say that Luton aren't getting the worst deal out of their top earner.

While Lewis hasn't been overly impressive in a fairly middle-of-the-road Watford side, he has been a consistent starter for the majority of the season and has covered a position they needed to fill fairly well so far.

Meanwhile, Lokonga was starting to look like he may be something of a transfer flop, barely playing for the Hatters in the Premier League until December, outside of matches against Fulham and Wolves in September.

If the on-loan Arsenal midfielder continues to impress at Kenilworth Road and helps the team avoid relegation, then the estimated £50,000 per week will be more than worth it in the long run for Luton.

Lokonga is on a reported £20,000 more than the next highest-paid player, who is Jacob Brown, while Lewis is being paid a reported £8,000 more per week than Tom Ince.

The potential for Lokonga to be a better signing than Lewis is there if he keeps performing as he has been, but at the moment, Lewis just about offering better value for money.

If either are to have a long-term future at their respective club, you'd imagine they would have to take a paycut.