From Mo Salah (including Virgil van Dijk) to Bukayo Saka.
Both Liverpool and Arsenal have taken the same approach: offering big-money contracts to their star players.
Sometimes we have to say it’s something that must be done, even if Liverpool has to think harder because they’re giving large contracts to players entering the twilight of their careers, over 32-33 years old, unlike Saka, who at just over 24 can still peak for many years.
This week, Saka signed a new five-year contract worth £300,000 per week, running until 2031, pleasing Gunners fans who no longer have to worry about the future of their main right winger for England. He even believes announcing it now could boost their Premier League title hopes. Saka celebrated his new deal with a goal against Wolverhampton.
But, as we’ve seen, they have stumbled again, ha.
Back to wages: once Saka extended his contract, it updated the list of the Premier League’s top earners. However, high wages don’t guarantee on-field quality—it depends on personal deals, timing of signings, and other factors.
Based on the UK’s Daily Mail data; other media or social sources might differ accordingly.
Number one is Erling Haaland at £525,000 per week (with the pound roughly 43 baht). He signed a new nine-and-a-half-year deal last year, lasting until he’s 34. Real Madrid shouldn’t challenge if Qatar’s wealthy owners remain in charge. Haaland’s salary seems astronomical, but given the goals he scores for Manchester City, it’s justified—and the Qatari owners can afford it!
Next are Mo Salah at £400,000, then Casemiro and Van Dijk at £350,000 per week. These two Liverpool players haven’t performed to their wage levels this season, but their past contributions may justify it. Casemiro’s form has been inconsistent, leading many to ask, “Who negotiated this deal?”
Joint fifth and sixth are Saka and Bruno Fernandes, each earning £300,000 weekly. Considering the figures for others, it’s fitting that Arsenal’s and Manchester United’s stars get such wages.
Saka, like Mo Salah, has seen a drop in league goals this year, but his contract was ending next year and needed quick renewal, reflecting his importance beyond just scoring.
What’s really surprising is what follows.
Manchester City pays £295,000 weekly to Omar Marmoush, who sometimes starts but doesn’t play regularly, overshadowed by Antoine Semenyo’s sharper finishing. Liverpool pays £280,000 to Alexander Isak, who started with fitness issues before suffering a long-term injury.
(In England, top earners pay a 45% top tax rate; anyone earning over £125,140 a year faces this. So top players reach this tax bracket weekly.)
Rounding out the top nine and ten Premier League earners this year are Arsenal’s Kai Havertz at £280,000 per week and Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus at £265,000.
The major issue for Havertz and Jesus is fitness. Havertz, who scored more for the team than Jesus in the first half of the season, suffered a serious knee injury, and after returning, struggled with hamstring problems.
Jesus’s Premier League scoring for Arsenal in the past three seasons has been poor: 4 goals in 2023-24, 3 last season, and only 2 so far this year.
Discussing these figures sparks envy—amid current living costs, £300,000-£400,000 per year is something I’d keep for myself.
Casemiro or Jesus aren’t at fault; their agents negotiate the best possible deals for them.
This is the reality for football clubs: if they’re stingy and cap wages too low, like Arsenal under Arsène Wenger for sustainability, fans don’t understand and pundits criticize freely (or talk without accountability).
When clubs have to pay big money to attract certain players, especially strikers as Arsenal has done with weekly wages near £300,000, the results aren’t always as hoped.
Managing a football team is not easy, whether in Thailand or abroad.
But why do so many want to own a team, ha-ha!
-Little Joe-