The highest-paid goalkeepers in world football | OneFootball

Highlights

Goalkeepers are the unsung heroes in the world of football, with every mistake made being extremely costly and every save being vital to their team. For instance, attacking players can go through a game without contributing much at all but then pop up with a goal in the final moments to become the star of the show. In contrast, a goalkeeper could be mostly brilliant for 90 minutes, but the slightest lapse in concentration can cost a goal, resulting in them being viewed as the villain come full-time.

That said, some of the highest-paid players in Europe are goalkeepers. No Premier League goalkeeper makes it into the top 10 best-paid keepers in Europe, despite the enormous sums of money floating around the English game. Two of the three highest-paid shot-stoppers ply their trade in La Liga, while a former World Cup winner tops the list.

The position may have developed over the years, but the importance of a world-class goalkeeper remains for any top team that is aiming to win the biggest prizes on offer. We've taken a close look at just how important goalkeepers are to the top clubs by finding out how much the best in the business are paid on a weekly basis. Below, you’ll find a list containing the 16 goalkeepers who are currently pocketing six figures per week in pounds sterling. All data sourced from the Capology website…

16 Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal) - £120,000-a-week

Making it onto this list - despite having lost his first-team place at the time of writing - is Arsenal shot-stopper Aaron Ramsdale. The Englishman was brilliant for Mikel Arteta's team in his opening two seasons at the Emirates, but David Raya's arrival on loan in the summer 2023 transfer window has seen the former Sheffield United man lose his starting berth.

At 25 years old, there is plenty of time for Ramsdale to get his career back on track, although time may be running out to save his Arsenal career. It's unclear whether he would have to take a pay cut from his current £120,000 weekly wage in order to make a move happen, but a transfer away from the north London club could significantly improve his chances of breaking into the England team.

15 Andre Onana (Manchester United) - £120,000-a-week

It certainly hasn't been an easy start to life in England for Andre Onana. The Cameroonian goalkeeper previously worked under Erik ten Hag at Ajax and was an impressive figure in Inter Milan's run to the Champions League final in 2023. Manchester United became desperate to sign Onana after his incredible Champions League final performance against Manchester City.

He was viewed as the perfect successor to David de Gea - who exited the club after spending 12 years as the number one - with Onana's superior ability with the ball at his feet being cited as the reason behind the decision to make the move. The Red Devils are known to pay their players a premium and Onana is no exception, although the 27-year-old's £120,000-per-week salary is significantly less than his predecessor was paid.

14 Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa) - £120,000-a-week

It may be a slight surprise that one of the stars of Argentina's 2022 World Cup success is towards the bottom of this list, but given some context, it does make sense. Emiliano Martínez was signed from Arsenal in 2020 after a strong end to the 2019/20 season for the Gunners. He was only given the opportunity to shine by Arteta due to an injury sustained by first-choice goalkeeper, Bernd Leno.

Aston Villa were the team to benefit from the confidence the Argentine gained from this brief spell in the Arsenal line-up as he stepped into the fold and has never looked back at Villa Park. Martinez now earns the same wage as Arsenal's highest-paid keeper currently, as he brings home £120,000 every week. With Ramsdale's struggles in 2023, the decision to sell Martinez and replace him with the former Bournemouth number one is looking less shrewd as time goes on.

13 Alphonse Areola (West Ham United) - £120,000-a-week

Yet another Premier League goalkeeper that earns £120,000 per week. The Frenchman is perhaps the most shocking, however, as Alphonse Areola only became the first-choice goalkeeper at West Ham at the beginning of the 2023/24 campaign, taking over from the reliable Lukasz Fabianski. Before that, Areola was limited to European and domestic cup appearances. This did result in the 30-year-old helping the Hammers to continental success in 2023 as the club lifted the Europa Conference League.

A reason behind the significant paycheck Areola takes home each week is possibly due to his former employers. He was on the books at Paris Saint-Germain for almost a decade, and the Ligue 1 side are a notoriously high-paying club. Despite this, he was never a regular starter for the club and was put out on many loans to clubs such as Real Madrid and Fulham before the Irons snapped him up permanently in 2022.

12 Jordan Pickford (Everton) - £125,000-a-week

England's number one is the second highest-paid shot-stopper in the Premier League. He may be a divisive figure at times, with his loud personality often getting on the wrong side of opposition players and fans. Pickford is the exact type of character any supporter would love to have representing their club and this is shown by the fact he often captains the team in the absence of skipper Seamus Coleman.

With Everton's struggles towards the bottom of the Premier League table, the ex-Sunderland man is always heavily involved in games and has to have his wits about him at all times. £125,000 per week is more than every other keeper in the division apart from one man. Pickford surprisingly earns more money than Manchester City's Ederson (£100,000 a week), who doesn't make this list at all.

11 Alisson Becker (Liverpool) - £150,000-a-week

The best-paid goalkeeper in the English top flight. Alisson is almost unanimously seen as the best Premier League goalkeeper, and this is reflected in his pay. There are very few goalkeepers in the world that can compete with the Brazilian when it comes to keeping the ball out of the net. Alisson's first season at Anfield saw him keep 21 clean sheets in the league, meaning there were more games in which he didn't concede in comparison to those that he was beaten.

Jürgen Klopp's side are often reliant on the extraordinary keeper as they play with a high defensive line, which leaves a lot of space in behind for opposing teams to attack. Alisson is always quick off his line when necessary, and is very comfortable with the ball at his feet. This brings a calming influence to the defenders in front of him and makes him an invaluable member of the squad. A deserving man to be the highest-earning player in his position in England.

10 Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund) - £151,533-a-week

Borussia Dortmund had struggled to find a reliable pair of hands to take over the mantle of Roman Weidenfeller after the German called time on his career in 2018. Gregor Kobel looks to be the man to take on the role of being between the sticks for the Bundesliga side for the long run after stepping up to the mark since his move from Stuttgart in 2021. The Swiss goalkeeper took over the number one spot from Roman Burki, who had struggled to put his stamp on the position.

It is maybe a surprise that Kobel earns more than some of the top goalkeepers in the Premier League - especially when considering the vast amounts of money spent on wages by English clubs. Nonetheless, he is the second-highest paid player in his position in the German league, which does make sense as he plays for the second-best team in the country, or that has been the case for the past decade or so at least.

9 Kepa Arrizabalaga (Real Madrid) - £151,533-a-week

Many eyebrows were raised when Los Blancos came calling for Chelsea goalkeeper, Kepa, in the 2023 summer transfer window. The Spaniard was brought to the Santiago Bernabéu on a season-long loan deal for the 2023/24 campaign to cover for an injury sustained by another former Chelsea keeper - who we will get to later. Kepa has had his fair share of criticism ever since becoming the most expensive number one in world football back in 2018.

There is not a huge expectation that Kepa will be a long-term solution to the ongoing situation at Real Madrid, but he also doesn't look to have a future at Chelsea under Mauricio Pochettino as shown by the fact that he was allowed to leave temporarily in the first place. Robert Sanchez has struggled to adapt to being the number one at a 'top six' club in the Premier league, so there could be a way back in for Kepa potentially.

8 Yassine Bounou (Al-Hilal) - £168,370-a-week

The emerging Saudi Pro League is becoming a force for top European clubs to be concerned about. A move was made by Al-Hilal to sign Bounou from Sevilla after the keeper had impressed for Morocco in the 2022 World Cup. The nation managed to finish the tournament in fourth place against all odds, and a large part of that is due to Bounou's impressive performances throughout the competition.

The 32-year-old now plays for the most successful Saudi Arabian side in recent history and looks to build on the five league titles the club had won in the seven seasons prior to his arrival ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. It is a big responsibility, but Bonou is very well paid for his services as he earns £168,370 per week.

7 Keylor Navas (Paris Saint-Germain) - £183,692-a-week

Remarkably, Keylor Navas isn't the highest-paid goalkeeper at his own club. He is the second-best paid shot-stopper in Ligue 1, but his back-up role in the PSG team points towards the reasoning behind another player being brought into the club to play in his position. After a sensational display at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the Costa Rica international earned a move to Real Madrid to compete with Iker Casillas. He eventually took over from the Spanish icon as the first choice for the Spanish giants.

Eventually, he was replaced by another man on this list and moved to PSG, where he was the main keeper once more for a number of years before being usurped once more, this time by a star performer at the 2020 European Championships. A loan stint at Nottingham Forest in 2022/23 did prove he still has the quality to perform at a high level, but a permanent move didn't materialise and he now brings home a huge wage despite often warming the bench in Paris.

6 Edouard Mendy (Al-Ahli) - £185,207-a-week

Edouard Mendy is the highest-paid goalkeeper in the Saudi Pro League, earning a cool £185,207 per week. The Senegalese keeper looked to be coming to an end at Stamford Bridge towards the end of the 2022/23 season in similar fashion to Kepa. Both men were regularly being rotated, but not due to their high-level performances, rather because of the number of mistakes being made.

Even though there were struggles in England, Mendy began his time in the Premier League on fire, starring in the Champions League winning campaign in 2021 under Thomas Tuchel. For the majority of Tuchel's reign at the club, the 31-year-old was incredible and even got into conversations with Alisson and Ederson when it came to the debate over the division's best 'keeper. After the German boss departed the club, however, things started to take a downward spiral and a move to the Middle East was secured.

5 Wojciech Szczesny (Juventus) - £202,717-a-week

Goalkeepers in Italy could petition for higher wages based on this list as Wojciech Szczesny is the only Serie A shot-stopper to make it into the top 16. Formerly of Arsenal and Roma, the Poland international has marked his place as one of the best keepers in the world during his tenure at Juventus. Premier League fans may remember him as the young goalkeeper that was prone to costly errors.

The 33-year-old has made the most of his time in Italy since 2015 as he initially kept Alisson out of the Roma team until he departed for Juve in 2017. Fans of his current club have grown to trust and adore the incredible number one with his shot-stopping abilities being up there with the best around the world.

4 Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain) - £214,335-a-week

The man that is keeping Navas out of the PSG first-team. Gianluigi Donnarumma was the star of Italy's Euro 2020 success as he was the hero in the penalty shootout victory in the final against England. These performances, along with his rise to prominence at AC Milan, earned his move to PSG after his contract at the San Siro had expired. Becoming one of the best goalkeepers in the world in his early 20s is reminiscent of the trajectory of Gianluigi Buffon's career.

His massive 6'5" frame is a frightening prospect for opposing forwards to face, which is a big reason for his expertise when facing penalties, as the Italian essentially covers the entire goal. Donnarumma has been prone to errors on occasion ever since his move to Paris, but there is plenty of time for those mistakes to be eradicated from his game.

3 Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid) - £252,555-a-week

Kepa is currently occupying the position left open by Thibaut Courtois' unfortunate ACL injury that ended his 2023/24 season earlier than expected. The Belgian has been a revelation ever since he replaced Navas as the Real Madrid keeper and his standout moment came in the 2022 Champions League final as Courtois made several stunning saves to deny Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané as Los Blancos ran out 1-0 winners over Liverpool.

This made up for the loss he suffered against Real Madrid while representing bitter rivals, Atlético Madrid, in 2014. He is undoubtedly one of the best goalkeepers in the world and Real Madrid fans will be hoping he can return to his best after his injury issues are behind him. He has done plenty to justify his £252,555 per week wage, and there is likely lots more to come from the ex-Chelsea man.

2 Jan Oblak (Atlético Madrid) - £350,715-a-week

Jan Oblak is often overlooked in debates among fans, but the Slovenian is one of the very best in his position in Europe. Oblak actually replaced Courtois at Atlético Madrid after the Belgian's loan move came to an end. He is now closing in on a decade of service between the sticks and the transfer must go down as one of the best in the history of the club.

He is certainly well paid for the contributions he has made towards the Spanish club's La Liga title in the 2020/21 season. The former Benfica man has been awarded the Zamora Trophy, which is given to the La Liga goalkeeper with the lowest goals-to-game ratio. Oblak is the second-highest paid keeper in European football, but only one man can take the top spot...

1 Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich) - £353,577-a-week

The highest-paid goalkeeper in the world is Manuel Neuer. It is likely not much of a surprise due to the veteran's standing in the game, even after missing the majority of the 2022/23 season due to injury. The German brought a new meaning to the term 'sweeper-keeper' when he first broke onto the scene, with his lightning-fast reactions helping him dart off his line to support his teammates whenever needed.

Goalkeepers are now modelled on Neuer a lot more than some people realise as Neuer has always been comfortable with the ball at his feet. His best days might be behind him now - with the peak of his career coming during Germany's 2014 World Cup win - but Neuer is still a supremely talented shot-stopper who remains the main man at the Allianz Arena. £353,577 per week makes the 37-year-old marginally better off than Oblak.