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Footballers are some of the highest-paid athletes in the world, and the game has seen a massive influx of cash over the past decade. €100million-plus fees have become the common theme in transfers involving elite footballers, with more than 10 transfers crossing the €100m mark in the past five years.
This has directly reflected on footballers' wages, with the likes of Gareth Bale and Eden Hazard earning a staggering €692,660-per-week and £416,000-a-week, respectively. While most footballers are more than adequately paid, some are not sufficiently compensated for their efforts.
Today, we take a look at the five most underpaid footballers in the world right now.
#5 Declan Rice | £62,000-per-week
The England international is currently one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, but earns only £62,000-per-week, according to talksport.com and thesun.co.uk.
Declan Rice has been heavily linked with the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea in the ongoing summer transfer window. The Englishman is undoubtedly one of the best players in his position in European football and warrants more than a £62,000-per-week salary. This becomes more apparent when compared to his contemporaries. According to multiple sources, N'Golo Kante's new contract with Chelsea will see him earn £290,000 per week.
If rumors are to be believed, West Ham are set to offer Declan Rice a new contract, which will see him more than double his wage. However, there has been no official announcement of a new contract amid interest from several top clubs.
#4 Scott McTominay | £20,000-per-week
Scott McTominay rapidly rose to prominence in Manchester United's senior setup and is currently one of the most important players in the squad. McTominay has registered 134 appearances for his boyhood club in a relatively young career.
This does not reflect in his contract, though, with the Scotsman earning £20,000-per-week, according to a report by sportbible.com. While Manchester United have been linked with a host of midfielders, there have been no official bids for anyone in the positions he and Fred play in.
This effectively means that Scott McTominay and Fred will be first-choice for the central and holding midfield positions. As a starting midfielder at a club like Manchester United, one could argue that McTominay deserves a lot more than this current salary.
To put things into context, Phil Jones bags £75,000-per-week at Manchester United.
#3 Andy Robertson | £50,000-per-week
Andy Robertson has established himself as arguably the best left-back in the Premier League right now.
However, he is one of the lowest earners at Liverpool as he bags a meager £50,000-per-week, which is nowhere near the ballpark of his contemporaries' wages. Robertson finds himself lower than Xherdan Shaqiri and Divock Origi on Liverpool's payroll. The Scotsman has been an integral part of Liverpool's backline over the past few years and definitely deserves to be in a higher wage bracket.
According to multiple sources, Robertson will be given a new contract to reward his consistent and solid performances over the past few years. A couple of months back, Trent Alexander-Arnold was on a £60,000 per week wage, but his new contract tripled his wages. Robertson will be hoping for something similar.
#2 Bukayo Saka | £30,000-per-week
England international at just 19, Bukayo Saka is one of the most exciting talents in world football right now.
Saka recently signed a long-term contract with Arsenal, which will see the youngster earn £30,000-per-week. This is a significant bump from his previous £10,000-a-week contract. However, Saka's immense potential and talent warrant a much better contract, especially considering that he is one of Arsenal's most crucial squad members. The likes of Cedric Soares and Mohamed Elneny are higher on the Gunners' payroll than the 19-year-old.
In 46 appearances across all competitions in the 2020-21 season, Saka was directly involved in 17 goals (7 goals, 10 assists). Aubameyang and Lacazette displayed poor form for the majority of last season, and the youngster capably shouldered the goalscoring responsibilities along with Emile Smith-Rowe.
#1 Phil Foden | £30,000-per-week
Phil Foden is arguably the most promising talent in European football currently and has become a mainstay in Manchester City's star-studded lineup. He was the second highest-scorer for the club across all competitons last season with 16 goals.
According to givemesport.com and multiple other sources, the young Englishman is currently on a £30,000-per-week contract. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola described Foden as the "most, most, most talented player I have ever seen in my career as a manager." This is a massive statement because the Spaniard has managed the likes of Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Robert Lewandowski in his career.
The sentiment, however, is not reflect on Phil Foden's latest six-year contract, signed around 2018. There has been speculation that the Cityzens are ready to offer the youngster a new contract that will triple his wages, but nothing has been made official as of now.
