Weekly wages: Cardiff City's top 10 highest earners (Ranked) | OneFootball

It is no secret that Cardiff City have had to tighten the financial purse-strings in recent years.

The cruel combination of the financial ramifications brought on COVID-19 pandemic - which ensued monumental losses for owner Vincent Tan in his separated business ventures - and paying significant outlays for players that seldom truly delivered or, indeed, justified that price tag in the first place, has resulted in cost-cutting exercises in the Welsh capital over the last two years or so.

Of course, this has dictated their transfer strategy, as has the current embargo they find themselves under until the turn of the year.

But naturally, it has also meant that they have needed to chop their wage bill, and the departures of players brought in either during their Premier League season or the subsequent campaign in which they spent beyond their means in a bid to launch an instant return, has helped Cardiff to finally become somewhat more financially sustainable.

So, it appears a good time to run through their highest earners amid a fresh and much-welcomed era for the 2023/24 season and onwards.

All figures will be sourced from Capology, where, it must be stressed all figures are simply estimates,

It must also be emphasised that, at the time of writing, no data is provided by Capology pertaining to the weekly pay packets of Cardiff's summer signings Dimitros Goutas, Yakou Meite, Aaron Ramsey and Josh Bowler, the latter two you would naturally expect to feature here.

And, that said, let's take a look at Cardiff's top earners according to the data provided from Capology.

10 Vontae Daley-Campbell - £11,293

Starting off this list is a name that will no doubt surprise supporters.

Vontae Daley-Campbell is believed to be the Bluebirds' tenth-highest weekly earner with a base wage of £11,923, usurping seasoned stars of the side such as Ryan Wintle, Mark McGuinness and Perry Ng.

Of course, the trio- who made a combined 107 appearances for Cardiff between them last season- all miss out in place of Vontae-Campbell, and that perhaps does not feel justified.

Indeed, the right-back has only featured twice since joining last summer following his departure from Leicester City, even receiving a red card on his debut in the EFL Cup against Portsmouth.

For a player that arrived with a fair degree of expectation from a long-term standpoint owing to the regard in which he was held in up in the East Midlands, it really has not worked out for Vontae-Campbell in Cardiff, and new boss Erol Bulut will likely look to either loan him out and trim what the club are paying, or sell him altogether before the window ends.

9 Callum O'Dowda - £12,115

On the other hand, Callum O'Dowda's estimated status as Cardiff's ninth-highest earner is more fair, although there will even be a school of thought that his performances last term have warranted a rise of sorts.

It is reported that O'Dowda penned a contract worth £12,115 a week after leaving Severnside rivals Bristol City a year ago.

Versatile, athletic and technically proficient, O'Dowda's displays at both left back and on the left wing have made him a popular figure among supporters, who widely view the Republic of Ireland international as one of the Bluebirds' key players despite the array of talent that has been signed this summer.

8 Romaine Sawyers - £12,308

Meanwhile, Romaine Sawyers' inclusion here may not spark too much shock, so to speak, as he boasts clear pedigree at this level- but it would be hard to argue that he has truly justified the money he takes home every week thus far.

That money is estimated to be £12,308 every single week, which represents quite a bit of expenditure for a player that no longer appears a regular in the side.

Now in his second season with the club, Sawyers' first was a turbulent term to say the least; the midfielder had struggled under both Steve Morison and Mark Hudson, with his slow nature in possession and lack of athleticism in the middle of the park often proving detrimental.

When Sabri Lamouchi arrived in February, Sawyers had initially emerged as one of the Frenchman's leading lieutenants courtesy of his ability to, at his best, control the side's tempo positively with the ball at his feet, but that promise also fizzled out before long and now, it is hard to see just where he figures under Bulut.

In holding midfield, he looks to have been surpassed by Andy Rinomhota, Joe Ralls, Wintle and even Ebou Adams, whereas the more beneficial creative role just infront now looks occupied by Ramsey and homegrown prospect Rubin Colwill.

7 Ryan Allsop - £12,885

Coming in at seventh place is shot-stopper Ryan Allsop, who is said to collect a weekly wage of £12,885.

His Cardiff career has been very much a mixed bag to date, with applaudable ball-playing early-season performances under Morison being swiftly overshadowed by more shaky showings as the campaign grew on.

An injury in pre-season against Wycombe meant that Jak Alnwick took the gloves for the Leeds fixture, and his display at Elland Road has now led to a lot of fans singing from the same hymn sheet when it comes to who should be manning the sticks for Cardiff this season.

The deal that Allsop is currently on expires at the end of the season, and as far as renewal goes, it will almost certainly hinge upon whether he is able to re-displace Alnwick and recapture his previous form.

6 Andy Rinomhota - £15,000

Another player with a somewhat uncertain future is Rinomhota, who definitely has something to offer Cardiff but faces plenty of competition and now finds himself under a new modus operandi where dominating the ball is of higher importance.

Possession-based expertise is not exactly in Rinomhota's weaponry, and while the £15,000 he is believed to receive every week may feel a tad too much, his dogged willingness to break up play and implement physicality to Cardiff's midfield still means that they are getting something from the investment.

5 Ike Ugbo - £15,000

Only narrowly above Rinomhota is new signing Ike Ugbo.

The striker joined on loan from French side Troyes over the summer and fought off criticism during pre-season to emerge as one of the heroes from Cardiff's courageous 2-2 draw at Elland Road by setting up Bowler to open the scoring and then doubling the advantage himself on the stroke of half time, all the while earning plaudits for his work off the ball, too.

He will be hoping to continue in the same vein when Cardiff host QPR in a favourable fixture on Saturday afternoon, and justify the reported £15,500 weekly salary that he is provided with.

4 Mahlon Romeo - £15,557

Mahlon Romeo collects slightly more than Ugbo with an estimated weekly wage of £15,557.

This sees him as Cardiff's fourth-highest earner- the third-highest of players permanently with the club- but the full-back is set to endure an uphill battle to reclaim his right-back spot ahead of Perry Ng, who befits Bulut's style much more with his ability to invert into midfield when the Bluebirds have the ball.

Despite earning more than most, Romeo looks set to bide his time from the bench for the time being.

3 Karlan Grant - £20,000

Like Ugbo, Karlan Grant is only on loan with Cardiff and it is not disclosed how much of how wages Cardiff are paying to West Bromwich Albion, although, with the data provided, he nonetheless surfaces as the joint-second highest earner in the Welsh capital.

That is because he takes home £20,000 per week, as you would expect for a forward who commanded a £15m fee when he swapped Huddersfield Town for the Baggies in 2020, and has previously scored 19 and 18 goals in back-to-back second-tier seasons.

He has arrived as one of Cardiff's most exciting and high-profile acquisitions over the summer, and it is hoped that he can translate his pedigree and quality to the team and help them compete at the right end of the table this year.

2 Callum Robinson - £20,000

Tied with Grant is former-West Brom teammate Callum Robinson, who is also on a reported £20,000 per-week contract at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Despite the signings of Grant, Bowler, Ramsey, Ugbo and Meite, Robinson still looks primed to play an instrumental role in proceedings once again this term after a productive first season that was ultimately cut short due to injury.

A creative and versatile attacker adept anywhere across the frontline, Cardiff simply look a more fluid and inventive side when Robinson is on the pitch, and it is definitely fair that he receives a big pay packet from the club.

1 Joe Ralls - £24,423

Cardiff's top earner is Joe Ralls, who is said to earn £24,423 a week after agreeing a two-year contract last summer.

The Cardiff captain has spent his entire career to date with the club, and while he has suffered bad luck with injuries more recently, he still remains a crucial part of Bulut's plans and an adored figure among fans too, meaning it is difficult to contest his current deal.