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The Catalan giants are one of the most famous clubs in world football and it is no surprise that some of its players are paid a huge salary. Lionel Messi is one of the highest-paid athletes in the world right now.
The Argentine international signed a new contract in 2017 which put him amongst the world’s best-paid players. Barcelona have signed some new players this summer and sold some prominent names as well.
The departure of players like Andres Iniesta, Paulinho, Andre Gomes, and Yerry Mina have reduced their wage bill, which allowed them to sign Malcom, Clément Lenglet, Arthur, and Arturo Vidal.
Stats courtesy: www.sillyseason.com.
On that note, let’s take a look at the weekly wages of Barcelona first team stars:
#23 Sergi Samper, £10,000/week
A product of Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy, Samper made his first-team debut for Barcelona in a UEFA Champions League game against APOEL in 2014. Despite all his promising abilities, the 23-year-old failed to break into the first-team and was loaned out during the last two seasons. Primarily a defensive midfielder, Samper has made only one La Liga appearances for the Catalan giants in his career.
#22 Marlon Santos, £20,000/week
Barcelona signed the Brazilian on loan in 2016 and after an impressive loan spell, Barcelona made move permanent. Primarily a centre-back, Marlon has made two appearances for the Catalan giants so far. He was loaned out to Nice last season and made 23 Ligue 1 appearances for the French club. The 22-year-old is expected to leave on a loan once again this summer.
#21 Thomas Vermaelen, £55,000/week
The former Arsenal star moved to Barcelona in 2014 and has played only 25 La Liga so far. The Belgium international has struggled with injuries and form throughout his Barcelona career and spent most of his time on the sidelines. The 32-year-old was loaned out to AS Roma but never got back to best. With the arrival of Clément Lenglet, his opportunities will be further limited this season.
#20 Jasper Cillessen, £55,000/week
One of the most prominent goalkeepers during his days at Ajax, Jasper Cillessen is currently the second choice goalkeeper behind Marc-Andre ter Stegen at Barcelona. The Dutch international has made only two La Liga appearances in his entire Barcelona career. He was used primarily in the Cup competitions and warned the bench for the most part of his tenure in Spain.
#19 Arthur, £60,000/week
Barcelona signed Arthur from Gremio this summer. The Brazilian has played for Brazil U17 and U20 sides and considered one of the exciting young midfielders. The Catalan giants were forced to strengthen the midfield after the departure of Andres Iniesta and Paulinho, and Arthur is a great addition to the squad. He is only 22 and possesses good abilities to become a great player for Barcelona in the future.
#18 Rafinha, £60,000/week
Having made his Barcelona debut in 2011, Rafinha has played only 48 La Liga games for the Catalan giants so far. The 25-year-old struggled to break into the first team on a consistent basis and was loaned out to Celta and Inter Milan. Valverde has a great squad and the Brazilian international will once again struggle for his opportunities this season.
#17 Denis Suárez, £60,000/week
Arrived at the Camp Nou in 2016, a lot of great things were expected from the Spaniard. However, two years into his Barcelona career, Suarez had made only 43 La Liga appearances for Barcelona and scored three goals. The arrival of Dembele and Coutinho has limited his opportunities. The 24-year-old possesses great potential to become one of the best midfielders in the future.
#16 Sergi Roberto, £70,000/week
A versatile player, Sergi Roberto can play as a fullback and also in the midfield. A product of La Masia, Sergi Roberto has made 125 La Liga appearances ever since his debut during the 2010/11 season. He became a regular only in 2013/14. Deployed as a right back, he played a huge role under Valverde last season.
#15 Clément Lenglet, £70,000/week
Lenglet is one of the big money acquisitions by Barcelona this summer. The centre-back arrived from Sevilla after an exceptional 2017/18 La Liga season. The Frenchman is one of the best defenders in La Liga at the moment and expected to play a big role under Ernesto Valverde. Lenglet will earn £70,000 per week at the Camp Nou.
#14 Nelson Semedo, £75,000/week
The former Benfica man arrived at the Camp Nou last summer. The 24-year-old Portuguese international has made 24 La Liga appearances for Barcelona last season. Though he wasn’t bad in his debut season at the Camp Nou, he wasn’t great either. He struggled for consistency and had intense competition from Sergi Roberto for a place in the eleven. He is expected to play a big part in the 2018/19 season.
#13 Samuel Umtiti, £75,000/week
The World Cup winner with France is one of the best young centre-backs in world football right now. Samuel Umtiti was mighty impressive for Barcelona last season and played a huge role in their La Liga and Copa del Rey success. Signed by Barcelona in 2016, the Frenchman has made 50 appearances for the Blaugrana so far. He has been solid at the back and could play a big part in Barcelona’s future.
#12 Paco Alcacer, £90,000/week
He is arguably one of the most underrated players at the Camp Nou. He had to compete with the likes of Lionel Messi, Ousmane Dembele, and Luis Suarez, and was not trusted by Ernesto Valverde. He has made only 14 starts for Barcelona in his two years stay at the club. With an abundance of attacking options at his disposal, Valverde could ignore his services once again.
#11 Marc-Andre ter Stegen, £90,000/week
Ter Stegen is one of the best goalkeepers in world football right now. He was phenomenal for Barcelona last season and an assuring presence at the back. He has improved a lot under Valverde and was a mainstay in the lineup. The Catalan side were one of the best defensive units in La Liga last season, thanks in most part to the German’s brilliance.
#10 Malcom, £90,000/week
Barcelona signed Malcom from Bordeaux this summer for a fee of around €41 million. The Brazilian was phenomenal in the Ligue 1 last season with 12 goals and seven assists. Malcom’s arrival could add a lot more firepower to Barcelona’s frontline. Malcom is expected to make his Brazil debut soon.
#9 Jordi Alba, £100,000/week
Jordi Alba is one of the best left backs in world football at the moment. Alba is a regular in the Barcelona squad for the last few seasons and has been exceptional for them. The Spaniard has made 33 La Liga appearances last with two goals and eight assists. He is also a mainstay in the Spain national team. £100,000 per week seems a lot less for a player of his abilities.
#8 Ivan Rakitic, £130,000/week
He is one of the consistent midfielders in the world right now. He was phenomenal for Barcelona last season and played a stellar role in Croatia’s run to the 2018 World Cup final in Russia. With a goal and five assists, Rakitic has made 35 La Liga appearances and a mainstay in the Barcelona lineup. He will once again lineup with Busquets in the middle of the park this season and is expected to play a big role.
#7 Gerard Pique, £165,000/week
Barcelona centre-back Gerard Pique is one of the best defenders in the world at the moment. Pique has been one of Barcelona’s best players for quite some time and has played a huge role in their success. Pique has made 276 La Liga appearances for Barcelona and won seven titles. He has also won three UEFA Champions League and six Copa del Rey titles. Pique has also won FIFA World Cup title with Spain in 2010.
#6 Arturo Vidal, £165,000/week
It was a smart move by Barcelona to sign the Chilean international this summer. Though he is 31, Vidal is one of the best in his position. Vidal is one of the experienced midfielders in the world and has played almost 500 top-flight games for Bayern Leverkusen, Juventus, and Bayern Munich. He could certainly strengthen Barcelona’s midfield and offer additional options for Valverde.
#5 Sergio Busquets, £185,000/week
He is arguably one of the top 3 midfielders to have ever played in La Liga. He may not grab the headlines, but, he is the backbone of this Barcelona side. He is an unsung hero of Barcelona’s huge success over the past 10 years and has done an incredible job. Busquets has won seven La Liga titles, three UEFA Champions League titles, and many more. He has also played a stellar role in Spain 2010 World Cup success.
#4 Ousmane Dembele, £220,000/week
One of the most expensive players in world football at the moment, Ousmane Dembele arrived with a lot of expectations. Though he showed flashes of his brilliance in Barcelona colors, he missed most part of the 2017/18 season because of injuries. The Frenchman is a livewire and one of the quickest players in the world. He is expected to make a lot of difference this season.
#3 Philippe Coutinho, £240,000/week
Neymar’s departure to Paris Saint-Germain paved the way for Coutinho’s move to Barcelona. Though he was Cup-tied, he produced some sublime football in La Liga. With eight goals and five assists in 16 La Liga starts, the Brazilian international showed a lot of promise. He is only 26 and at the peak of his career right now. In-form Coutinho is key to Barcelona’s success this season.
#2 Luis Suarez, £290,000/week
The Uruguayan international is one of the greatest strikers of the modern era. Luis Suarez has been a consistent performer for the Catalan giants. He has scored 25 goals and assisted 12 more in La Liga last season, and was instrumental in their domestic double. The 31-year-old is expected to share the goalscoring burden with Lionel Messi once again and a key element to their fortunes.
#1 Lionel Messi, £500,000/week
Arguably the greatest player of our generation, if not all-time, Lionel Messi has been Barcelona’s talisman for more than a decade. The Argentine international has scored 552 goals in 638 appearances for the Catalan giants. He is the most honored player in Barcelona history with 33 titles. Though £500,000 per week seems a monumental salary for a footballer, Messi deserves every bit of it.
