How Mateo Joseph's wages at Leeds United compare to the best Championship strikers | OneFootball

FLW outline Mateo Joseph's weekly wage at Leeds United and compare it to other Championship strikers.

Mateo Joseph is one of the brightest young strikers in the Championship, with the Leeds United striker tipped for a big future in the game.

As the new season kicked off, all eyes were on Joseph. The promising Leeds prospect showed glimpses of his potential in the latter half of last season, especially with his brace at Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup.

There's perhaps a school of thought that the reason Joseph was underutilised by Farke last season being down to the youthfulness of Leeds' forward line.

That included players such as Willy Gnonto, Crysencio Summerville, and Georginio Rutter — all of whom are aged 23 and under.

Therefore, it was no surprise to see that, in the early months of the 2024/25 season, he started games and played well by notching three assists and a goal in the opening six matches of the season, with many expecting big things from him this term.

That was after an impressive pre-season, which only fuelled the growing belief further that he was ready to make a significant impact.

Fans were frustrated with Daniel Farke's reluctance to give Joseph more game time, but there was a sense that this campaign could be even more of a breakout season than the last.

Mateo Joseph's Leeds United wages compared with other Championship forwards

In January of last year, Joseph signed a four-year extension at Elland Road to tie down his immediate future with the club until 2028. Per Capology's estimates, that deal sees the young Spaniard earn around £15,000 per week in West Yorkshire.

He may not yet be established against plenty of other top strikers, but it was a signal of intent regarding his potential. No striker was signed in January by Leeds, either, meaning Joseph will do battle with the two other senior strikers on the books of the first-team, with Joseph joined by Joel Piroe and Patrick Bamford.

The focus was more on retaining key players last month after The Athletic revealed that the West Yorkshire outfit rejected an offer in "excess" of £10 million for the Spain U-21 international. That is yet another sign of their high hopes for Joseph's future at Leeds, especially given his all-round nature as a striker.

Very few second tier strikers are as naturally well-rounded in terms of overall skill-set, particularly at such a tender age. However, there are some big earners in the Championship. Per Capology, Middlesbrough are paying part of Kelechi Iheanacho's eye-watering £75,000 wages, while Bamford is also estimated to earn around £70,000.

Ben Brereton-Diaz, Lyle Foster, and Adam Armstrong each earn between £30,000 and £35,000 per week. Meanwhile, arguably the best striker in the division, Josh Sargent, is joined by Sheffield United's Tom Cannon on around £25,000 per week.

The likes of Haji Wright, Kieffer Moore, and Ellis Simms are paid in a similar ballpark, while Sheffield Wednesday's Michael Smith is paid around £17,500 per week. These sorts of figures aren't altogether surprising at the present time, but Joseph will hope his career kicks on to see him earn in excess of these figures by the time he enters the prime years of his career.

Mateo Joseph's potential at Leeds United is high but his future may be away from Elland Road in 2025-26

Following a restructuring of Leeds' attack due to players leaving in the summer, it could give the Spanish youth international a real run at making the number-nine spot his own, to spearhead the forward line under Farke in 2024/25.

Instead, Piroe has scored more frequently, even if he is not necessarily seen as the best stylistic fit. Joseph ticks the boxes in terms of his availability and as a number nine for Farke's set up, but he has flattered to deceive in front of goal on a number of occasions.

The rejected bid is a vote of confidence in Joseph's long-term potential and his development, with the young Spaniard likely to cost a lot more as an asset in the future. There is still plenty to admire about his all-round game as a centre-forward, in spite of the lack of regular output.

Joseph has the ability to lead the line and run the channels as a focal point and is the ideal profile in the modern day for a striker. That said, he needs more refinement and to hone his finishing instincts. A loan next season may be the most beneficial thing for both Joseph and Leeds, especially if they are promoted to the Premier League.

He could be the spearhead of the Leeds attack in a long-term sense, and could well be a much better player than many of his Championship peers in attack in years to come, but the young Spaniard has plenty to learn in the next few seasons too.