The Premier League has long been home to some of football’s biggest names, and with that comes ludicrous salaries to match their stardom. As the 2025/26 season kicks off, these giants highlight the Premier League’s financial might as well as the value the clubs place on them.
5. Raheem Sterling – Chelsea
- Weekly Wage: £325,000
- Position: Right Winger, Left Winger, Centre Forward
- Nationality: England
Raheem Sterling’s hefty wages are more a reflection of his time at Manchester City, where he enjoyed a trophy-filled spell. He’s one of only a few as part of the Premier League 100 club. However, since joining Chelsea, his influence has waned. At 30 years old, he’s past his prime years and arguably no longer deserving of such high wages.
4. Casemiro – Manchester United
- Weekly Wage: £350,000
- Position: Defensive Midfielder
- Nationality: Brazil
A wage justified by his glittering career at Real Madrid, where he won five Champions League titles and built a reputation as one of the world’s best defensive midfielders. In his first season at Manchester United, Casemiro proved why he deserved to be regarded as one of the biggest stars in the league. However, it has not been the case in subsequent seasons. Age has clearly caught up with the Brazilian juggernaut, and performances no longer match his sizeable salary.
3. Virgil van Dijk – Liverpool
- Weekly Wage: £350,000
- Position: Centre Back
- Nationality: Netherlands
Since joining Liverpool in 2018, van Dijk has transformed the Liverpool defence into one of the most formidable in Europe. Arguably, his signing was the turning point for Jurgen Klopp’s successful reign as Liverpool manager. He even won Premier League Player of the Season in 2018/19 and captained Liverpool to their 2025 Premier League trophy.
2. Mohamed Salah – Liverpool
- Weekly Wage: £400,000
- Position: Right Winger
- Nationality: Egypt
The Egyptian King is rightly among the Premier League’s highest-paid players, after cementing himself as one of the greatest forwards in the competition’s history. He’s won multiple Golden Boots and well as Premier League Player of the Season awards. He’s been a catalyst for Liverpool’s success both in the Premier League and Champions League.
1. Erling Haaland – Manchester City
- Weekly Wage: £525,000
- Position: Striker
- Nationality: Norway
Erling Haaland sits at the very top of the Premier League’s pay scale, and his impact since arriving at Manchester City more than justifies it. In his debut season in the Premier League, he shattered the record for most goals scored in a single season by scoring 36, dethroning Andy Cole and Alan Shearer. He was pivotal in Manchester City’s historic treble triumph. At only 25 years of age, his best years are still ahead of him.
Conclusion
The list of the Premier League’s highest-paid players is as much a reflection of reputation as it is of current form. Regardless of how the players are performing ahead of the 2025/26 Premier League season, all of these players were deserving of such contracts with respect to their legacy as footballers. It is the big contracts that turn heads, but it’s big performances that truly define greatness.
Written by: Thillai Ritvik
