Constantly rising wages in the world of football have led to some mind-blowing figures in terms of player salaries.
Whilst you could argue that some players are deserving of the ridiculous wage packets that are handed out in modern football, there are plenty of underwhelming performers when it comes to value-for-money.
Now before anyone gets too emotional, keep in mind this list is based upon the opinion of yours truly, and just because a player has made the list in no way means that they are a bad footballer.
There are several spectacular players on this list, but after factoring in the wages they receive it’s hard to argue that they’re not overpaid.
1) Kepa Arrizabalaga – £155,000 per-week
While the Spaniard’s pricetag was no fault of his own, it’s fair to say that Chelsea probably expected a lot more from the keeper for £72m.
Kepa arrived with the most expensive transfer fee for a goalkeeper in history, but after a reasonable start to life in the Premier League, things went downhill rapidly.
Just two years after arriving in London, Kepa was pushed to second-choice after Chelsea signed Edouard Mendy. With that in mind, £155,000-a-week is a lot of money for a backup goalkeeper.
2) Harry Maguire – £190,000 per-week
Maguire has performed brilliantly for United at times, but his many mistakes at vital moments have been a source of misery for the club’s fans.
Especially in the current campaign, it feels like almost every other week there is a new clip of the defender going viral for failing to perform his duties properly.
With £190,000 entering the Englishman’s pocket every week, United should expect much more consistency in his performances.
3) Thomas Partey – £200,000 per-week
Arsenal fans were rightly excited after the Gunners signed Partey from Atletico Madrid. The midfielder had already proved he was a leader on the pitch during his time at the Spanish club.
Mikel Arteta and Arsenal’s fans were hoping the Ghanaian would transform the club’s midfield, but lacklustre performances have seen the excitement quickly die down.
While Partey is far from the worst player at the club, it seems difficult at this moment in time to justify his £200,000-a-week wages.
4) Saul Niguez – £200,000 per-week
Saul Niguez was always going to have a tough time replacing any of Chelsea’s superb midfield. When your competition includes the likes of Mateo Kovacic, Jorginho and N’Golo Kante, it’s pretty much guaranteed that game time will be hard to come by.
But Thomas Tuchel was probably still hoping the midfielder would at least give him a small headache when it comes to choosing his lineup.
However, Niguez’s sub-par performances have done little to adjust the Blues midfield and the acceptance of the Spaniard’s £200,000-a-week wages now seems an illogical decision by Chelsea.
5) Ousmane Dembele – £210,000 per-week
There is no denying Dembele is a ridiculously talented footballer, he has shown glimpses throughout his career of what he could achieve if motivated and fully fit.
Although Dembele’s injuries are not the player’s fault, he has now missed over 100 games through injury for Barcelona since arriving.
Unsurprisingly the winger has been linked with moves away from Barca multiple times, but they will be hard pushed to find a club willing to fork out the £210,000 wages he is currently receiving.
6) Timo Werner – £272,000 per-week
Timo Werner arrived in London off the back of a 34-goal season for RB Leipzig. Chelsea fans were appropriately excited, with many feeling the team lacked a clinical striker.
But with the striker having netted just 18 times in 72 appearances across all competitions since arriving, he has hardly provided the Blues with value for money.
Chelsea were forced to splash out £97m on Romelu Lukaku just a year after the German’s arrival, making his £272,000-a-week wages seem even ridiculous.
7) Paul Pogba – £290,000 per-week
Pogba has shown time and time again, for both Manchester United and France, that he is a world-class midfielder. On his day, the Frenchman can take control of a game and provide us with moments of absolute magic.
That being said, the midfielder’s day just doesn’t come around often enough. Pogba’s United career has been a rollercoaster of inconsistent performances, one day he can look like the best player on the pitch, and another day he can get himself sent off in the space of 15 minutes.
While it’s understandable that many fans will be unhappy seeing the 28-year-old on this list, for £290,000-a-week we should be seeing the best of Pogba every matchday.
8) David de Gea – £350,000 per-week
Before you get the pitchforks out, hear me out on this one. De Gea is a spectacular goalkeeper, and many teams would love to have the Spaniard between the sticks.
But £350,000-a-week is a ridiculous amount for any goalkeeper.
De Gea’s wages make him the third-highest earning player in the entire Premier League, and to put that into even more context, Liverpool’s Alisson Becker is believed to earn around £150,000-a-week.
9) Eden Hazard – £380,000 per-week
It’s fair to say that Eden Hazard’s dream move to Real Madrid has turned into something of a nightmare for the winger. Hazard arrived at Real with a spellbinding Premier League career under his belt and was widely regarded as one of the best wingers in the world at the time.
But injuries and his overall poor performances have seen the Belgian spend more time on the bench than the pitch. With plenty of rumours of the Spanish club willing to let him go for a cut-price, it’s fair to assume that they probably regret the £380,000-a-week contract they handed to the 31-year-old.
10) Gareth Bale – £520,000 per-week
Bale is earning over half a million pounds a week… Need I say more?
The Welshman infamously announced Wales and golf as his priorities over his club, so it’s understandable that he’s not a fan favourite in Madrid. Bale has had some amazing moments for Los Blancos, but he has also spent a lot of time on the sidelines.
While nobody can blame the 32-year-old for his injuries, the disrespect he’s shown to the club during his time there is unacceptable, especially when you consider his astronomical earnings.
