Sheffield United v Sheffield Wednesday: Who is paying the most in wages in 2025/26? | OneFootball

We compared the 2025-26 wage bills of Steel City rivals Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday.

As they prepare to do battle in the Championship once again, it is fair to say that contrasting seasons could be ahead for Steel City rivals Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday.

Sheffield United looked in pole position to achieve automatic promotion in the second half of last season, but a late collapse saw them finish third in the table, and they suffered further heartbreak as they were beaten 2-1 by Sunderland in the play-off final.

Just a few weeks after their Wembley defeat, the Blades made the controversial decision to part company with popular manager Chris Wilder due to disagreements over their new data-driven recruitment model, and while new head coach Ruben Selles will be aiming to deliver promotion this season, it has not been the smoothest of starts to his tenure at Bramall Lane.

Sheffield Wednesday finished in a respectable 12th place in the Championship last season, but they have been plunged into crisis after a summer of off-field turmoil under the ownership of Dejphon Chansiri.

After the departure of a number of key players, the Owls also lost manager Danny Rohl just over a week before the start of the new season, and with the club facing severe restrictions on their transfer activity, new boss Henrik Pedersen is having to work with a threadbare squad.

Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday have had turbulent summer transfer windows

Sheffield United have brought in five new signings this summer in Mihail Polendakov, Tyler Bindon, Djibril Soumare, Ehije Ukaki and Louie Barry, but the lack of incomings has been a big frustration for supporters, and Selles himself admitted that the club's recruitment process has "not been good enough".

The Blades have also lost a number of their stars over the course of the summer, including Anel Ahmedhodzic, Vini Souza and Kieffer Moore, and amid speculation over the future of the likes of Jack Robinson and Tyrese Campbell, Selles warned the board against selling any more players without having a replacement already in the building.

Selles has revealed he would like to bring in five new signings before the end of the window, and it seems the United hierarchy may now be listening to the Spaniard's demands after reportedly making an £8 million bid for Coventry City defender Bobby Thomas.

While the Blades have had their troubles in recent weeks, it has been nothing compared to the turmoil at Sheffield Wednesday, and after Chansiri sold star wingers Anthony Musaba and Djeidi Gassama for a combined total of just £3 million in an attempt to raise funds last month, forwards Josh Windass and Michael Smith had their contracts terminated by mutual consent after handing in their notices.

Having failed to pay the wages and players and staff on time for four of the past five months, the Owls have been hit with a four-window ban on paying transfer fees, and while their transfer embargoes have now been lifted, they are unable to complete any signings until Chansiri can satisfy the EFL that he would be able to pay the salaries of any new additions.

After the mass exodus during the summer, Wednesday currently have just 15 senior players at the club, and that number could be depleted further amid interest from French side Strasbourg in highly-rated goalkeeper Pierce Charles, who has also been the subject of bids worth £1 million plus from West Ham United and Rangers.

As United and Wednesday settle into the new season after eventful summers, we looked at which of the South Yorkshire duo is paying the most in wages in the 2025-26 campaign.

Comparing the wage bills of Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday

According to Capology, Sheffield United have a weekly wage bill of £431,500 and an annual wage bill of £22,438,000, although it should be stressed that those figures are an estimate.

Given the financial troubles of their Steel City neighbours, it will come as little surprise that the Blades have a significantly higher payroll than Sheffield Wednesday, who are said to have a weekly wage bill of £263,096 and an annual wage bill of £13,681,000.

Having offloaded some of their stars this summer, United's current joint-highest paid players are midfielders Tom Davies and Gustavo Hamer, who are both thought to earn £30,000-a-week, while goalkeeper Adam Davies, defenders Jack Robinson and Rhys Norrington-Davies and striker Tom Cannon are also among the club's biggest earners (all £25,000-a-week).

In contrast, Wednesday's highest-paid player is captain Barry Bannan, who recently signed a new contract at Hillsborough, with the 35-year-old estimated to earn £24,038-a-week, while Yan Valery, Dominic Iorfa, Nathaniel Chalobah and Ike Ugbo are next on the list (all £20,000-a-week).

The Blades may have a bigger wage bill, but it seems they are also experiencing some financial problems of their own, and Selles is being forced to work on a limited transfer budget this summer, as exclusively revealed by FLW last month.

However, there is no doubt that the Owls' predicament is far more perilous, and with ongoing concerns about whether the club will be able to meet their financial obligations, pressure is growing on Chansiri to sell the club.