The Premier League's highest-paid XI, ft. De Bruyne and Haaland | OneFootball

Highlights

GIVEMESPORT VIDEO OF THE DAY

In the last few seasons, the amount of money spent in the transfer market has skyrocketed. And astronomical prices for players have been matched by the insane wage packages offered to them and existing players when negotiating new contracts.

Football inflation has been particularly evident in the Premier League, with some of the best players in the world plying their trade in the English top flight. So, with even more talented footballers arriving at teams over the summer and with several becoming some of the top earners at their clubs, the team at GIVEMESPORT thought we would put together the highest-paid XI in the Premier League right now.

We’ve paid a visit to FBref, who get all their data from Capology, to see who makes this mega-rich team. Spoiler alert - it’s full of players from ‘Big Six’ clubs.

GK: Alisson - Liverpool - £150,000 per week

David de Gea would have faced little competition for this spot had he remained at Old Trafford, with the Spanish shot-stopper paid £375,000 per week while at Manchester United. With his departure, though, we’re heading to Anfield and putting Alisson in between the posts. We have to drop a fair way down the Premier League wage list to find him mind you, with numerous players on a higher wage than him. However, considering that he is arguably the best goalkeeper in the league, there are not many who would say he does not deserve his £7.8m a year salary. The player who would have taken this spot had Alisson not joined from Roma all those years ago? Everton’s Jordan Pickford, who earns £125,000 per week at Goodison Park.

RB: Reece James - Chelsea - £250,000 per week

James signed a new six-year contract in September last year, a deal which will keep him at Stamford Bridge until 2028 and one which more than doubled his earnings according to Capology. When fully fit, he is a key player for Chelsea and one of the best right-backs in the world, with not many Chelsea fans disagreeing with the notion that their club captain is not worth that weekly wage. However, considering that he has missed numerous games because of several injuries over the last year or so, his £13m a year wage starts to look a little more inflated.

CB: Raphael Varane - Manchester United - £340,000 per week

Luring Varane away from Real Madrid was always going to cost a pretty penny, and boy has it cost United. Since 2021, they have paid Varane a yearly salary of £17.68m for his services, making him the best-paid defender in the league by quite some way. That’s not to say that he hasn’t justified his fee over the years, though. Varane has been very good for the Red Devils and formed an excellent partnership with Lisandro Martinez last season to help his team qualify for the Champions League. He has picked up an injury or two since arriving in England, however, and if they persist, some United supporters might start to think his wage is better used elsewhere.

CB: John Stones - Manchester City - £250,000 per week

He might be earning nearly £100k less than his centre-back partner in this team, but there will certainly be those of you who believe Stones is the better player. Last season, he took his game to even higher heights under Pep Guardiola, earning the nickname 'Barnsley Beckenbauer' because of how similar his game was to 'Der Kaiser'. Stones will reach the end of his £13m a year contract in 2026, by which time he will be 32. However, if he continues to excel and helps City win even more silverware, then you would imagine a renewal will definitely be on the cards.

LB: Ben Chilwell - Chelsea - £200,000 per week

Both Chilwell and Josko Gvardiol could slot into this position here, seeing as both men earn the same amount and both are capable of playing on the left. But we’ve opted for the out-and-out left-back here, with the Man City defender more suited to playing at centre-back. Chilwell has been one of the better left-backs in the league in recent years when he has been injury-free, something which has not always been the case. Todd Boehly and Co clearly recognise his importance to the team, though, getting him to put pen to paper on a new deal which sees him stay at Stamford Bridge until 2027. Although with new coach Mauricio Pochettino playing him further forward, almost as a left-winger at times, it remains to be seen if he retains his left-back status for the next few years.

CM: Kevin De Bruyne - Manchester City - £400,000 per week

De Bruyne stands alone when it comes to money pocketed every week, with the 32-year-old the highest-paid player in the Premier League by £25,000 per week. But when you factor in how crucial he has been to City’s success, it is hard to say he has not been worth it. 104 Premier League assists, along with 64 goals, have helped City win five league titles, and he was key to them also completing the treble last season. De Bruyne has two more years left on his current contract, and even with all the injury problems that he has suffered from in recent months, City would be fools not to renew his deal.

CM: Casemiro - Manchester United - £350,000 per week

Casemiro’s move to United was one of the signings of last season, with him having a transformative effect on the Red Devils. And the Brazilian’s wage reflects his importance to Erik ten Hag’s team, with nobody else at the club earning more than him. Given his status in world football as one of the best defensive midfielders in the last decade, there probably are not many who think that this mammoth £18.2m a year contract is undeserved, but he has looked a little shaky at the start of the new Premier League season. Now 31, could his age finally be starting to catch up with him? If it is, some people might start to think a new deal beyond 2026 is not worth considering

CM: Bernardo Silva - Manchester City - £300,000-per-week

At one point this summer, it seemed as if Silva was destined to finally leave the Etihad and give himself a new challenge. But the new season has started, and a new deal has been signed by City’s Portuguese midfield maestro. In all honesty, it is nothing short of what he deserves. Silva’s performances over the years for City have been sensational, and both Guardiola and Jack Grealish, who was snapped begging him to stay, will be delighted that he is continuing with the Premier League champions. Although that new contract probably won’t stop Barcelona from being interested in signing him next summer.

RW: Mohamed Salah - Liverpool - £350,000 per week

Only two players in the English top flight earn more than the Egyptian King at Liverpool, and it is hard to say that he doesn’t deserve all that money. Even when the Reds were struggling last season, Salah was one of the few who maintained his excellent levels, notching 19 goals and 12 assists in the Premier League alone. With him already off the mark for the new campaign with two goals and two assists, there is every reason to suggest he will hit those heights once again, justifying his £18.2m a year wage even more. Having signed a new deal in 2022, he is set to remain at Anfield until the summer of 2025, bar another attempt from Al-Ittihad to sign him in the January transfer window.

ST: Erling Haaland - Manchester City - £375,000 per week

Is it really worth debating if the Norwegian sharpshooter is even worth this wage? A Premier League record-breaker in his first season in England, and a total of 52 goals in all competitions last year make it very hard to say he doesn’t deserve all that cash. He has already gotten off to a flyer this campaign too, with six goals in the league so far, and there is every chance he smashes the records he set last year if he manages to stay injury-free. Haaland’s deal at the Etihad runs until 2027, and god knows how many records he will have broken by then.

LW: Raheem Sterling - Chelsea - £325,000 per week

There might be little debate surrounding the wages of the other two attacking players in this team, but there is plenty of it surrounding the final man. Sterling was supposed to be the marquee signing for Chelsea last summer, but was anything but that in what was a dismal first season at Stamford Bridge. Just six league goals fell his way in 2022/23, hardly what we were used to seeing from him while he was at Manchester City. Things have looked more promising this time out, but with Chelsea still not clicking just yet under Pochettino, might it be another year to forget for Sterling in west London? If it is, expect questions to be asked about why he is being paid so much for so little.

The highest-paid Premier League XI assembled in full

There is no doubt that this team is full of quality and would definitely win titles, but it would be a struggle to bankroll this side. The total wage bill for this team comes to an insane £3.29m every week, with the average wage of a player in this XI approximately £300,000 per week. That’s some serious money, but it gets you a whole lot of talent.

What’s even more crazy are the players who don’t get into the team because there are higher-paid players in their position. Marcus Rashford, Jack Grealish, Kai Havertz, and Gabriel Jesus are four players who each earn £265,000 or more every week, but there is just no room in the XI for them. Crazy. With the financial power of the Premier League only continuing to grow though, and with more stars joining every window, might we see a few new entries in this super team in the coming years?