Who is the highest paid player in the Premier League?

Find out who the highest paid player in the Premier League is right now, how much they earn, and how the top wages compare across the league.

The question sounds simple, but the answer isn’t as straightforward. When people ask who the highest paid player in Premier League history is, they’re usually talking about different things without realising it.

Are we talking about the biggest weekly wage or the most money earned across a career? Do we include bonuses or just basic salary?

Because Premier League pay has changed so dramatically over time, the answer depends on what you’re measuring.

What does “highest paid” actually mean?

There are three main ways Premier League earnings are usually measured.

Weekly wage: base salary reported per week

Annual salary: total base pay across a season

Total career earnings: wages plus bonuses and long-term contract value

Each produces a different answer. Let’s break each one down.

Who has the highest weekly wage in Premier League history?

If we’re looking strictly at the base weekly salary paid by a Premier League club, Cristiano Ronaldo holds the top spot.

During the 2021–22 season at Manchester United, Ronaldo earned between £480,000 and £500,000 per week, making it the highest confirmed weekly wage ever funded directly by a Premier League side.

That figure stands as United’s highest-ever salary commitment and remains the cleanest benchmark for the highest weekly wage in league history.

Where Gareth Bale fits into this

Gareth Bale is often cited as the highest-paid Premier League player because his 2020–21 loan spell at Tottenham Hotspur carried a headline wage of around £560,000 per week.

However, that figure was heavily subsidised by Real Madrid. Tottenham didn’t pay Bale’s full salary, which is why many records list Ronaldo as the highest-paid Premier League player in practical terms.

Bale’s deal represents the highest perceived weekly wage while registered in the league, but not the highest wage fully paid by a Premier League club.

Other top weekly earners

Several modern players sit just below that top tier:

• Erling Haaland – roughly £525,000 per week

• Kevin De Bruyne – around £400,000 per week

• David de Gea – approximately £375,000 per week

• Alexis Sánchez – about £350,000 per week

These contracts reflect the modern wage ceiling created by increased broadcast revenue and global commercial growth of football. Pretty crazy numbers when you think about it.

Who has the highest annual salary in Premier League history?

Annual salary produces a slightly different leaderboard. Based on reported annual earnings, the top single-season Premier League salaries include:

• Fernando Torres (Chelsea, 2010) – £56.0m

• Gareth Bale (Tottenham, 2020) – £31.2m

• Erling Haaland (Manchester City, 2024–25) – £27.3m

• Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United, 2021) – £26.8m

• Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City, 2023) – over £25m

These figures reflect how bonuses, contract structure, and timing can inflate annual earnings beyond what weekly wages suggest.

Who has the highest total earnings across a Premier League career?

Finally, we’ve got total earnings across a player’s entire career. When total Premier League earnings are considered, longevity matters more than peak salary.

According to all-time Premier League career earnings data compiled by Spotrac, the players who have earned the most across their time in the league include:

• Kevin De Bruyne – approximately £165m

• Raheem Sterling – approximately £153m

• Mohamed Salah – approximately £137m

• David de Gea – approximately £135m

Again, pretty impressive numbers. Premier League wages have exploded in recent years thanks to broadcast deals, clubs growing into global brands, and commercial income skyrocketing.

What “highest paid” really tells us

Looking at these records together makes one thing clear. There is no single way to define who has been the highest paid player in Premier League history.

• Weekly wage records highlight moments where clubs pushed the ceiling to secure or retain elite talent

• Annual salary records show how bonuses, incentives, and contract structure can change the picture over a single season

• Total career earnings reward players who stayed in the league for years, signed multiple high-level contracts, and remained trusted starters across different phases of their career

Taken together, these records show how Premier League pay has evolved. Early stars set huge benchmarks for their time, and that’s helped modern players benefit from teams that are much more willing to shell out high wages to secure top talent.

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