The Highest-Paid Footballers in Europe leagues have been revealed, with a lot of big names now being absent due to the emerging force of the Saudi Pro League. The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema would have been towards the top of this list in 2023 until they made their moves to the Middle East.
The absence of these names has left room for other players to make their way into the top 20 earners across the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1. These are still regarded as the top five divisions on the continent, although it has to be said that only one Serie A player makes the cut. So, we take a look at the top 20 highest-paid players in Europe’s top five leagues with the weekly wage figures. Here is the detailed list of Highest-Paid Footballers in Europe.
| 10 Highest-Paid Players in Europe’s Top 5 Leagues | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Player | Club | Weekly Wage |
| 1 | Robert Lewandowski | Barcelona | £532,689 |
| 2 | Kylian Mbappe | Real Madrid | £499,446 |
| 3 | Kevin De Bruyne | Manchester City | £400,000 |
| 4 | Harry Kane | Bayern Munich | £399,557 |
| 5 | Erling Haaland | Manchester City | £375,000 |
| 6 | David Alaba | Real Madrid | £359,601 |
| 7 | Dusan Vlahovic | Juventus | £355,126 |
| 8 | Casemiro | Manchester United | £350,000 |
| 9 | Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | £350,000 |
| 10 | Manuel Neuer | Bayern Munich | £335,628 |
10. Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)
Wage: £335,628 per week
Bayern Munich’s number one is the highest-paid goalkeeper in Europe, and it is not surprising as the German has spent the past decade as one of the best in his position. Not only that, but he is also the second-highest-earning player in the entire Bundesliga, behind only Kane. At 38 years old, it is yet to be seen how long Neuer will have at the top, but his career will be remembered fondly either way.
His status as one of the greatest goalkeepers in history is already set in stone for when Neuer does eventually decide to hang up his gloves. Whether he is currently worth the pay packet he receives is another question entirely, as it does appear injuries and age is finally catching up to the great shot-stopper.
See Also: Top 10 Awards In Football: Prestigious Awards In Soccer
09. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Wage: £350,000 per week
What can be said about Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool contract that hasn’t already. The Egyptian has made no bones about the fact he is unhappy with how negotiations have been handled as he enters the final few months of his current deal. He is still the Reds’ premium goalscorer and it seems almost impossible to find a direct replacement for him.
Salah is now among the top 10 Premier League goalscorers of all time, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest forwards to have graced the English division. Being one of several key figures at the club whose contracts expire in 2025, it is anyone’s guess as to how the saga surrounding the former Roma forward ends.
08. Casemiro (Manchester United)
Wage: £350,000 per week
Manchester United’s highest earner receives the same weekly wage as Liverpool’s (we’ll get to him shortly). Casemiro was brought in from Real Madrid in 2022 after winning five Champions League titles with Los Blancos, meaning he was always going to be well-paid. United are known to hand out big contracts for marquee signings and the Brazilian did not disappoint in his first campaign. It’s been a steep decline ever since.
The Brazilian was never the most mobile but was left exposed in United’s midfield throughout the last 18 months of Erik ten Hag’s reign. With new boss Ruben Amorim wanting a high pressing system from his team, it seems as though the defensive midfielder is living on borrowed time at the Theatre of Dreams.
07. Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus)
Wage: £355,126 per week
After showing incredible promise early in his career, Dusan Vlahovic hasn’t taken off as many expected him to at Juventus. He’s not been bad by any stretch, scoring a little under a goal every other game for the defensive Serie A giants, but it’s hardly the form that he teased before leaving Fiorentina.
Still, he’s being paid very handsomely by Juventus for his services and currently takes home just over £355,000 a week. For that sort of price, the club will probably want his output in front of goal to increase. His form in Europe this season is far more promising (3 goals and one assist in four appearances), but it is domestically where he must step things up as the Old Lady look to return to their former heights.
06. David Alaba (Real Madrid)
Wage: £359,601 per week
Perhaps surprisingly bringing home just under £360,000 a week, David Alaba earns more than all of his Real Madrid teammates, bar one (Mbappe). There was a lot of interest in the versatile Austrian as it became clear he would be leaving his previous club at the end of his contract, and the Spanish giants swooped in with a massive offer to seal the deal in 2021.
See Also: Top 10 Largest Football Stadiums In The World In 2024
Alaba’s 2023/24 season was cut short due to a long-term injury, and this was seen as a massive absence from the backline, as his versatility allowed the 32-year-old to operate effectively in the centre and on the left. He is yet to return to action, but has been making his presence felt for club and country off the pitch as he steps up his recovery.
05. Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
Wage: £375,000 per week
Having secured the Premier League’s single-season goalscoring record in his debut campaign with 36 goals in 35 games, and finishing top scorer in the Premier League in both his seasons in the league, the Norwegian has proven why Manchester City were willing to pay him such a high wage.
In his two full seasons at the Etihad, no one has come close to touching Erling Haaland’s numbers for the Sky Blues. He will be looking to make it a third consecutive season as the golden boot winner, even if it’s growing increasingly unlikely that Pep Guardiola’s men will be lifting the Premier League trophy come the end of the season.
04. Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
Wage: £399,957 per week
There was a growing belief that Kane would never leave Tottenham in the pursuit of a new challenge. However, the opportunity to win trophies with Bayern Munich – along with a lucrative contract offer – was enough to finally prize the Englishman away from Spurs and the Premier League. He is widely acknowledged as the very best in his position globally, with his wage now reflecting this.
The second-highest goalscorer in Premier League history was always going to command an extremely healthy salary, and his form for the German side throughout his debut campaign proves exactly why. Kane became the fastest man to reach 20 Bundesliga goals, doing so in only 14 matches. This term it is a similar story and the England skipper may finally be on his way to his precious league title, with the Bavarians leading the charge by a considerable margin already.
03. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
Wage: £400,000 per week
When on form, there is really no one like Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian has arguably the greatest vision and range of passing that English football has ever seen, and despite being in the latter stages of his career and having been hit with the injury bug, very few in the current game are able to come close to matching it.
De Bruyne is already making his way into conversations about the best midfielders in Premier League history before even hanging up his boots, and that says something about the talent the former Chelsea youngster possesses. However, as he enters the final stages of his Manchester City contract, the possibility of a lucrative pay rise overseas may become too much for the 33-year-old to ignore.
02. Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid)
Wage: £499,446 per week
After years of speculation, Kylian Mbappe finally joined Real Madrid this summer, and he took a pay cut to do so. During his time at PSG, he was the highest-paid player in Europe and was taking home over £1m every week. The allure of playing for Los Blancos meant he more than halved his salary to move to La Liga.
With that said, he’s still earning just shy of £500,000 a week and won’t be short of cash anytime soon. His return so far, though, has not lived up to the figures being paid, as the 25-year-old has struggled to replicate his best form from when he was dominating in the French capital.
01. Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)
Wage: £532,689 per week
Robert Lewandowski was snapped up by Barcelona in 2022 after rattling in 344 goals across his eight years at Bayern Munich. The Pole’s clinical nature in front of goal is a quality worth its weight in gold for any club in the modern game, with very few forwards being comparable to Lewandowski in that respect.
The hardest skill in football is to consistently put the ball in the back of the net, and for that reason, it comes as no surprise that Lewandowski is at the top of this list. His clinical goalscoring led Barcelona to the 2022/23 La Liga title. After an underwhelming second season, the dedicated 36-year-old has rediscovered his finishing prowess under Hansi Flick.