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Footballers put their bodies through an extreme amount of wear and tear from a very young age in hopes of earning themselves a professional contract before the end of their teenage years, as being a footballer for even a mediocre European club pays better than being a neurosurgeon does in some countries.
More exorbitance has been added to football over recent years, with financial sums involved in all things football increasing by every second it seems. Transfer fees, agent commisions, and wages are all increasing every transfer window that goes by, and for buying any player who played well the year before means shelling out a substantial chunk of your transfer and wage budget. Let's take a look at the clubs that have the highest average pay in the Spanish top flight.
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#20 Real Valladolid
Real Valladolid has the lowest wage budget in the Spanish top flight, with the average yearly salary for a Valladolid player being $721,050. Valladolid currently sits 13th in the league after 13 game weeks with 17 points, having lost and won on 4 occasions this season, earning a draw 5 times. For a side whose highest paid player is goalkeeper Yoel Rodriguez, who earns nearly 2 million dollars per annum,
#19 Huesca
Playing their very first season in the Spanish top flight, Huesca unsurprisingly has the second lowest budget in LaLiga, with the average yearly salary for a Huesca player being $725,299. They earned a historic promotion on the last day of their previous campaign, and are one of the teams in the league with a very feel-good vibe about them and raucous their fans. They currently sit at the bottom of the table with 7 points and just 1 victory to their name.
#18 Rayo Vallecano
Rayo Vallecano is the club coming in third from the bottom, with $824,407 being the average amount a player makes in a year at the club. Rayo has been in and out of the top flight for a long time, and have turned it up a notch every time they face a big club, playing expansive football looking for the result. It doesn't always happen for them though, as this year they sit in 19th with just 7 points, separated from Huesca by goal difference.
#17 Levante UD
For a club with the fourth lowest budget in Spanish football, Levante sure doesn't look the part as they sit comfortably in the top half of the table at 9th, with 5 wins and 18 points after 13 games played. $888,710 is the average pay for a Levante footballer, but they Spanish outfit plays some of the most attractive and expansive football in the league. For a team of their financial stature, they sure love turning it up against the big dogs, having earned points against Real Madrid and Valencia already this season.
#16 Getafe CF
Getafe sits 16th on our rankings, with their average pay per player coming out to be $915,130 per annum. The Madrid club currently sits at 12th in the league standings with 17 points to their name. They have been flying below the radar so far this season as much was expected of them after their red-hot form in preseason.
#15 SD Eibar
Eibar was the latest team to pile on Real Madrid's misery as they slashed through the European Champions 3-0 at the Ipurua. Currently, they sit at 10th in the league standings with 18 points after 13 games, only behind Levante on goal difference. The average pay for an Eibar player is $950,337, but the tactics that the team plays with enables them to take on any side on their day, as their calculated pressing system could harass any midfield they want to.
#14 Girona CF
Giron currently sit 7th in the league, level on points and goal difference with the mighty Real Madrid, with 20 points after 13 league ties played. Girona has been red hot this year, with Christan Stuani scoring 10 goals so far, making him the leader of the Pichichi race ahead of Lionel Messi & Andre Silva. Girona has an average pay of $974,520 PA per player and playing like a much better team than their budget reflects so far this season.
#13 Deportivo Alaves
CD Alaves currently sits at 13th in our rankings, with an Alaves player earning nearly $1,048,133 per annum. The minnows are way ahead of where their financial status should allow them to be, currently sitting in 4th in the league table, 3 points above European Champs Real Madrid, and just 2 behind defending champions Barcelona. They are 3 points from the summit of Spanish football, and if they continue like this, this season could be the most memorable one in their history.
#12 CD Leganes
Leganes currently sit at 17th in the league standings, just 2 points above the relegation spots with 13. The average pay per player is $1,093,631 PA. The club has some of the most intense fans who stand by their side no matter what the result and fans of the club carry with them giant tifos for road games, with a smiling cucumber that reads what can best be translated as "Fear the Cucumber". The minnows defeated defending champions Barcelona at home this year already, in what is widely considered the best game in the club's history.
#11 RCD Espanyol
Espanyol has been playing some amazing football this year, with wins over Valencia, Bilbao the highlights of their year so far. They are only 4 points behind eternal rivals Barcelona, who sit just 4 points ahead of them in the league table. The two sides meet soon in the LaLiga clash on 9 December. The average pay for an Espanyol player is $1,584,781.
#10 Real Betis
Real Betis players earn an average of $1,696,851 per annum, which places them at 10th in our standings. Betis has been in worrying form as of late, but do lead their Europa League table with 8 points, but have only been able to get to 14th in the league this year, accumulating only 16 points, although they did defeat Barcelona at the Camp Nou with 4 goals to three.
#9 Celta Vigo
Celta Vigo has been extremely porous at the back, conceding 22 goals, whilst scoring 23. They are one of the most attractive teams in the Spanish top flight but their expansive style leaves them wanting at the back. The average pay for a Celta Vigo player is $1,697,155 per annum. They currently sit at 15th in the league standings, having just 14 points in their 13 games, winning 3 times.
#8 Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad currently sit at 8th in our rankings, with the average Sociedad player earning an estimated $1,956,738 per annum. They currently sit at 8th in the league standings, having earned 19 points after 13 outings, and have been defensively resilient so far this season. Theo Hernandez is looking a lot more like his old self since being loaned out from Real Madrid, and he and Diego Llorente are becoming more and more pivotal to the club everytime they step on the pitch.
#7 Villareal CF
Villareal has one of the more talented squads in Spain, which is all the more concerning as they currently sit just 3 points away from the relegation zone, with just 14 points earned after 13 league games played. The average pay for a Villareal player is $2,198.386 per annum. With that kind of an outlay on wages, the club and it's fans are entitled to expect more from their players, who've been abysmal more often than not this season.
#6 Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Bilbao has one of the biggest wage budgets in the league, as their players earn an average of $2,319,440 per annum. This massive outlay has so far been the biggest shock of the season so far, as the players taking in these wages have only been able to accumulate a measly 11 points in the league this year, winning just once in13 games, seating them at 18th, just 4 points above from the foot of the table.
#5 Sevilla FC
Sevilla have an average wage of $3,653,267 per player, making them one of the most financially solid clubs in the World. They have won games against Real Madrid, Vigo etc, this year, playing some expansive end to end football. They sit top of the league with 26 points after 13 league games, and loan signing Andre Silva has been in red-hot form this year, level with Lionel Messi in the race for the Pichichi.
#4 Valencia CF
Valencia possesses the fourth largest wage budget in Spain, with the average wage per player being $3,764,524 per annum. Valencia's form has been worrying this season, winning just 3 of their 13 games this season. Their form in front of goal has been the main cause of concern, as they have scored just 11 times in the league this year, despite having the joint best defensive record, conceding just 9 goals this year.
#3 Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid has the third largest wage budget in Spain, with the average wage per player being $8,098,836 per annum. The squad possesses superstars like Antoine Griezmann, Diego Costa, Jan Oblak to name a few, and all that star power shows on the pitch, as the Madrid club looks certain to go to the next round in the Champions League, and sit only 2 points behind league leaders Sevilla with 24 points in 13 games. They have the best defensive record in the league, with only 9 goals conceded so far this year.
#2 Real Madrid CF
Real Madrid have one of the best squads in the World of football, and it certainly shows from their bank balance, as they possess the second highest wage budget in Spain, with the average Real Madrid player making $10,644,272 per annum. Star names like Gareth Bale, Isco, Karim Benzema, Sergio Ramos are all on massive contracts, but their performances recently have left fans wanting more, as the club currently sits at only 6th in the league table, behind the likes of Sevilla, Deportivo Alaves.
#1 FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona has the highest wage budget of all sports teams, as they pay their players an average of $13,755,714 per annum, which is quite staggering and some ways ahead of the next closest team. Their squad possesses debatably the best player on the planet in Lionel Messi, who is surrounded by some of the World's most talented players' in their positions. This side currently sit 2nd in the league table, and recently beat arch-nemesis Real Madrid with 5 goals to1, and have comfortably qualified for the next round of the Champions League.
