How Newcastle United's 2016/17 wage bill compared to the rest of the Championship - Aleksandar Mitrovic was the big earner | OneFootball

Football League World looks at how Newcastle United's 2016/17 wage bill compared to the rest of the Championship

It would be easy to forget that Newcastle United were hosting Championship football just eight years ago, with the Saudi Arabian-bankrolled side having reestablished themselves as one of the Premier League's leading outfits.

The Public Investment Fund's (PIF) reported £305 million takeover of Newcastle in 2021 has transformed the Magpies, who finished fourth in the 2022/23 Premier League campaign and recently lifted their first trophy in more than 50 years by defeating Liverpool in last month's Carabao Cup final.

Mike Ashley's era in charge of the club was a huge contrast, though, and Newcastle twice suffered relegation to the Championship under his ownership. Both times, they would spend just one season in the second-tier before returning to the big time as champions, which most recently happened back in 2017.

Newcastle's wage bill is now, naturally, astronomical considering the investment which has been ploughed in from the PIF. But what did it look like when the Magpies were last in the Championship? Football League World takes a closer look...

Newcastle United's 2016/17 wage bill compared to the rest of the Championship

As per Capology, a site which provides estimated salary figures and is the basis for all listings here, Newcastle had the Championship's highest wage bill, which should come as little surprise.

It's said that the Magpies had an annual wage bill of £37.23 million, shelling out just shy of £3 million more on salaries than Aston Villa, who had the second-highest at £34.42 million.

The difference, of course, is that Newcastle ultimately saw much of their salary investment vindicated as they returned to the Premier League in swift fashion as champions, accumulating 94 points to pip second-placed Brighton and Hove Albion to the title, while Villa, who were also relegated in the previous season, finished all the way down in 13th.

Other clubs who had some of the higher annual payrolls in the Championship that year include Sheffield Wednesday, Norwich City, Derby County and Nottingham Forest.

Aleksandar Mitrovic was Newcastle United's top earner in 2016/17

The Magpies, who were managed by Rafa Benitez that year, had a squad rammed with big names. Their squad included the likes of Jesus Gamez, Ayoze Perez and DeAndre Yedlin, while Wearside flops such as Siem de Jong and 2018 FIFA World Cup winner Florian Thauvin were on loan away from the club.

Newcastle's highest earner, however, was Aleksandar Mitrovic, who was estimated to be earning a weekly wage of £60,000.

Annually, the Serbian's contract netted him north of £3 million, so it's interesting that he actually failed to deliver the goods in the Championship that year.

Mitrovic, who would later light up the Championship during three separate seasons with Fulham, scored just four times from 25 appearances in the Magpies' title-winning campaign, with Dwight Gayle's goals instead ensuring promotion.

Now a superstar with Saudi Pro League outfit Al Hilal, featuring alongside Ruben Neves, Malcom, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Joao Cancelo and more, Mitrovic never quite did it for Newcastle and they may regret handing out such a hefty salary.

The likes of Gayle, Mohamed Diame, Yoan Gouffran, Matz Sels, Gamez, Jonjo Shelvey, Jack Colback and Vurnon Anita were also among the Magpies' leading earners in 2016/17.