The crazy wages Aleksandar Mitrovic is on in Saudi amid Birmingham City link | OneFootball

Aleksandar Mitrovic earns more than the entire estimated payroll of most Championship clubs

Birmingham City have been linked with some truly incredible signings this summer, as the club looks to make their Premier League ambitions a reality as soon as they possibly can.

The latest in a long line of Premier League-proven stars linked with a move to St Andrew's is Aleksandar Mitrovic, after Alex Crook claimed that the Blues were still in the market for goal-getters.

Ultimately, there hasn't been anyone better at scoring in the Championship in recent memory than Mitrovic. He terrorised defenders whilst in the second-tier at Fulham, scoring 81 times in just two-and-a-half Championship seasons at Craven Cottage, which included a record 43 in the 2021/22 campaign alone.

The 30-year-old has been backed to make the switch back to England after a couple of years playing for Al-Hilal in the Saudi Professional League, with Premier League new boys Sunderland and Leeds United being offered the chance to sign him.

But, quiet murmurs of a move back to the Championship for the Serbian arose; murmurs which have since been shut down by Birmingham Live.

This could be because Mitrovic would see himself as still at the level of the Premier League at age 30. Or, and this factor is more likely, no team in the Championship would be able to foot the wage necessary to bring him back to the second tier.

Aleksandar Mitrovic's estimated wage at Al-Hilal

Aleksandar Mitrovic earns, to put it bluntly, a lot of money in Saudi Arabia. This isn't a surprise, given the large amount of wages thrown at players by clubs such as Al-Hilal, but it does make a move back to Europe a tricky situation.

According to Capology's estimates, the 30-year-old frontman earns a whopping £414,509 per week on his contract for the Saudi Pro League side.

To put that into perspective, also according to the estimated wage bills on Capology, only Sheffield United, Ipswich Town, Southampton and Leicester City, four sides that played in the Premier League as recently as two seasons ago, have a whole squad wage bill over that amount.

Birmingham are estimated to pay their players £246,000 per week combined, so an offer for Mitrovic would be completely insurmountable - even if these estimates turned out to be inaccurate, a wage cut of as much as 75% for Mitrovic would still see him the highest earner at St Andrews' by some distance.

So, even before Birmingham Live snuffed the rumour, a move for Mitrovic would have been one that, whilst exciting Blues fans initially, would be almost impossible when thinking realistically.

Birmingham City still in the market for new players before transfer window ends

Birmingham Live added that Chris Davies is still looking for players to help bolster his side ahead of a second consecutive promotion push.

The Blues are still in need of some left-back competition for Alex Cochrane, and now need a backup centre-back following the departure of club captain Krystian Bielik to West Bromwich Albion.

The report stated that "one or two more attack-minded players" are expected to be pursued, but with the squad already bolstered up top with the additions of Kyogo Furuhashi and Marvin Ducksch, it'd be difficult to see any more striker additions at St Andrew's this summer.