Every top football league’s highest-paid player in 2023/24 | OneFootball

The amount of money in football nowadays is mind-blowing. As is the modern world, players tend to transfer from one club to another for mouth-watering sums – and then when it gets down to the nitty-gritty of contract negotiations, they are quick to demand lofty wages.

Clubs, particularly in Europe’s top five leagues and the Saudi Pro League, are quick to grant them their wishes, however, to ensure they remain a happy customer. But the trend is becoming vicious. You now have footballers who earn copious amounts of money for playing the game – and it’s only poised to get further out of hand.

Take the Premier League, for example. Outrageous amounts of money are being put on the table to keep incoming players and those having their contracts extended pleased with Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool being seen as the typical financial powerhouses in the English top flight.

But who is the Premier League’s top earner? And how do they compare to leagues across the world? Fear not, as GIVEMESPORT have taken a deep dive into the figures to find that out. All figures are presented are taken from Capology – without further ado, let’s get into it.

Premier League – Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)

Wage: £400,000-per-week

All you need to do is take Kevin De Bruyne out of Pep Guardiola’s starting line-up and you’ll see how important he is to everything they muster going forward. After failing to stamp his authority at Stamford Bridge earlier in his career, the pale-faced Belgian tipped up to the Etihad Stadium – and eyebrows were raised.

He has done everything in his power, however, to silence the critics. A midfield magician capable of picking out a marauding forward, most notably Erling Haaland, on a sixpence. He may earn £400,000 per week, but given the creativity-inspired exploits that he shows in all but every outing, he is worth every penny in the eyes of the Manchester City hierarchy. It's pretty hard to argue against the idea that he should earn more than his peers.

La Liga – Frenkie De Jong (Barcelona)

Wage: £615,682-per-week

Perennially linked to Premier League outfit Manchester United, Frenkie De Jong – who worked under Red Devils chief Erik ten Hag at Ajax – has forged a wonderful career, all while earning a pretty penny. Ten Hag could get a second bite at the cherry, given Barcelona are mulling over whether to sell the Dutchman, but any would-be buyer will have to get the chequebook out to work out how to pay his wages worth £615,682 per week.

De Jong was one of the most sought-after midfielders in world football after being an integral part of Ajax’s run to the Champions League semi-finals in 2018 and opted for the basking sun of Catalonia. He’s been a mainstay in the centre of the park for them ever since – but could up and leave in search of a new challenge this summer.

Bundesliga – Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)

Wage: £410,455-per-week

The long-awaited replacement for Robert Lewandowski, Tottenham Hotspur and England’s all-time top goalscorer, Harry Kane, has hit the ground running at Bayern Munich. Having notched 24 goals in his opening 21 domestic appearances under Thomas Tuchel, it’s safe to say that the large sum of money spent on his signature has paid dividends, as is the £410,455 paid into his bank account every week.

A well-rounded striker, who has shown his ability to drop deep, score countless goals and link play with the midfield bank of Bayern, Kane has emerged as one of the best British-born exports to ply their trade overseas. His teammates Manuel Neuer, Thomas Muller, Leroy Sane and Joshua Kimmich follow as the Bundesliga’s top five earners.

Serie A – Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus)

Wage: £212,780-per-week

Juventus’ talisman Dusan Vlahovic takes the top spot for the Italian top flight. When the Old Lady secured his services from Fiorentina, the Serb was seen as Cristiano Ronaldo’s long-term replacement. Perhaps still yet to live up to the lofty standards set by the aforementioned Portuguese great, having registered 35 goals and a further eight assists for his current employers.

His fellow Juventus teammates Wojciech Szczesny and Alex Sandro both make the top five Serie A earners, too, and they are joined by Napoli bagsman Victor Osimhen and one of the league’s most underrated assets Hakan Calhanoglu, who pocket £210,481 and £182,406, respectively, per week.

Ligue 1 – Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)

Wage: £1,182,110-per-week

Who else other than Paris Saint-Germain ace Kylian Mbappe? The French forward, 25, has been a constant thorn in Ligue 1 defences since emerging from Monaco’s youth set-up in 2016. A permanent move to the country’s biggest club came to fruition in 2018 and he has been on red-hot form since.

After reportedly choosing to join Real Madrid in the summer, it will leave the door ajar for Ousmane Dembele – another PSG star – to become the division’s highest-paid player. Expectedly, it is Luis Enrique’s side who boast the top five highest earners in France’s top flight with Lucas Hernandez, Marquinhos and Milan Skriniar earning the big bucks at Parc des Princes.

Saudi Pro League – Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr)

Wage: £3,283,640-per-week

Ronaldo, the greatest player in Champions League history, takes the crown in the ever-growing Saudi Pro League – and rightfully so, the credibility he carries with him wherever he goes comes with lofty financial benefits. The Real Madrid and Manchester United cult hero earns a mouth-watering £3,283,640-per-week at Al-Nassr after beginning the barrage of stars moving to the Middle East to earn their corn.

Icons such as Karim Benzema and Neymar opted to follow suit and also earn unfathomable amounts of money for their respective clubs, Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal – but neither come close to the five-time Ballon d’Or winner. Former Manchester City man Riyad Mahrez earns £857,030 per week at Al-Ahli, while CR7’s current forward partner, Sadio Mane, earns £656,728 in the Saudi Pro League. Those ridiculous wages mean that this particular division has the highest average wage in all of world football.

Eredivisie – Jordan Henderson (Ajax)

Wage: £76,837-per-week

Jordan Henderson’s wage at Ajax, worth £76,837-per-week doesn’t even touch the sides of the £350,000-a-week salary he was supposed to pocket at Al-Ettifaq. After struggling to adapt to the trials and tribulations of life in Saudi Arabia, the Liverpool icon moved to the Eredivisie giants and automatically became the division’s top earner.

The central midfielder, looking for a spot on the plane for England this summer, has played just 90 minutes in an Ajax strip thus far this season. Unsurprisingly, de Godenzonen dominate the league’s top five earners with Steven Bergwijn and Steven Berghuis earning a respective £75,524 and £65,673 on a weekly basis.

Major League Soccer – Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)

Wage: £182,630-per-week

If anyone – purely for their football ability – deserves a big pay packet, it’s Lionel Messi. In hindsight, however, his wage for current employers Inter Miami is on the lower end of the spectrum, especially compared to the likes of Ronaldo and Mbappe. Earning just £182,630 per week in the warm American sun, the majority of the genius’ take home will come from sponsorship deals and the like.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has played for some of Europe’s biggest clubs in his time as a footballer – most notably Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain – and would have been paid much more than he is now. Regarded as one of the best players in the history of the beautiful game, Messi will not mind not earning a huge amount given how bloated his bank account will already be.

Primeira Liga – Angel Di Maria (Benfica)

Wage: £157,943-per-week

Angel Di Maria is one of a handful of players to have earned their corn in Europe’s top five leagues (Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Benfica). The 136-cap Argentina international first strutted his stuff for Benfica back in 2007 and somewhat made a name for himself in European circles.

After forging a brilliant career, the 35-year-old is back in Portugal, earning £157,943 per week. Benfica trident Juan Bernat, David Neres and Arthur Cabral – alongside Sporting CP ace Francisco Trincao join him as the division’s top five highest earners, though Di Maria and Bernat and the only two to earn over the £100,000 mark.

Turkish Super Lig – Mauco Icardi (Galatasaray)

Wage: £164,182-per-week

Once a talismanic figure at Inter Milan, a club he scored 124 goals for, Mauro Icardi is now spending his 30s in the Turkish Super Lig for Galatasaray, all while earning a respectable £164,182-per-week. He may be known for his odd blunder, like his one against Istanbulspor, but his sharpshooter-like nature has made him a beloved figure at clubs before Galatasaray.

The Argentinian, who has just eight international caps to his name, is sharply followed by former Manchester United midfielder Fred, who earns £123,136 at his current employers, while his teammate Wilfried Zaha also earns a pretty penny at Galatasaray - £119,032 to be precise. Fenerbahce duo Edin Dzeko and Dusan Tadic earn £114,927 on a weekly basis, too.