Top 5 highest paid Barcelona players in 2018

For many years now, Barcelona have been competing with Real Madrid for both the La Liga title as well as top talent from around the world. Both clubs boast gigantic wealth, meaning that they're able to afford just about any player. In turn, they can offer the individual a staggering salary which will always be far too great to refuse.

However, the downside of this competition means that if the two are fighting for a player who can't decide on his preferred destination, an "auction" will ensue; not only will the transfer fee rise exponentially, but so will the wage, as the pair fight to out-do each other.

But the huge expenditure often pays off if the team in question wins the title. A huge sum of cash is rewarded and the worry over how much was spent on the player rapidly diminishes.

Without further ado, let's take a look at some of the highest paid players on Barcelona's roster.

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#5 Gerard Pique -- £165,000-per-week

Gerard Pique

Gerard Pique started his career playing for Barcelona's youth team, before being signed at 17-years-old by Manchester United in the summer of 2004, for a fee of £4m. He was sent out on loan to Real Zaragoza for the 2006/07 campaign, but failed to impress. In July 2008, he was sold to Barcelona for just £4.5m.

The decision to sell Pique was perhaps one of Sir Alex Ferguson's biggest mistakes. Pique is now a Barcelona stalwart and a constant first-teamer. He's key to how the team operates and is synonymous with the club nowadays.

Pique has won a plethora of trophies since joining Barcelona, including the Champions League (x4), Spanish League Championship (x7), European Championship (x1), Spanish Cup (x6), Spanish Super Cup (x7), and to top it all off - he even won the World Cup with Spain. There is no doubting the extraordinary ability of this man.

Both his loyalty to the club and great footballing ability warrant his high salary, and there have been many calls in recent years to improve the sum to reflect just how important he is.

All figures via SillySeason

#4 Sergio Busquets -- £180,000-per-week

Sergio Busquets

It's not often you find players who will stick with a club for their whole career, but it's certainly panning out that way with Sergio Busquets.

Busquets was promoted from Barca Juvenil A to FC Barcelona B in 2007, which would be his first real chance to showcase his ability. Clearly he impressed, as by the end of the season he had been moved across to Barcelona's first team. He's retained his place in the starting-eleven ever since.

Now 30-years-old, without much chance of him leaving the Spanish giants anytime soon, it looks as if he's going to see out his career with Barcelona. Busquets remains on top of his game, hence the £72m price tag.

£180,000-per-week is not a figure he's likely to get at another club, especially given how much time he realistically has left before his legs begin to go, so he looks set to stay with Barcelona for the foreseeable future.

#3 Philippe Coutinho -- £200,000-per-week

Philippe Coutinho

One of Barcelona's more recent signings, Philippe Coutinho, has been a major player for both his country and Liverpool. He had spells at Inter Milan, Espanyol and Vasco da Gama in the past, but had failed to truly show the world what he was capable of.

It wasn't until he made the switch to the Premier League that he turned heads, stunning the crowds with his light footwork and effortless trickery. He even had an eye for goal, often scoring from 25-yards-out or more with ease. At Liverpool, Coutinho's market value rose from a mere £8m to £81m in just five years.

In January, he was signed by Barcelona for a fee of around £142m, and was handed a wage of £200,000-per-week, which is far higher than his salary was whilst with the Reds.

#2 Luis Suarez -- £290,000-per-week

Luis Suarez

In a number two is another player who flourished at Liverpool: Luis Suarez.

Suarez had already made a decent name for himself during his time with AFC Ajax in the Netherlands (2011-2014). He began his career with Nacional in his native country Uruguay. He would be signed by FC Groningen in 2006 for £720k, then swiftly sold on to Ajax the following year for £6.75m.

Suarez made 110 appearances and scored 81 goals for Ajax. It was these sublime performances that caught the attention of Liverpool, who paid a cool £22.7m for him in 2011. He proved to be just as good in the Premier League, scoring 69 times in 107 games for the Reds.

Three years on, Suarez would be sold to Barcelona for £75m, where he would have his most prosperous footballing tenure yet, scoring an incredible 110 goals in 126 appearances.

Suarez's footballing ability as a striker is outstanding and it's hard to argue with the opinion that he's one of the best in the world. His £290,000-per-week wages are justified, given just how many goals he nets for the club.

#1 Lionel Messi -- £365,000-per-week

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is a player who needs no introduction. He stands alongside Cristiano Ronaldo as one of the two best players in the world and his £365,000-per-week salary is entirely justified. Each week, he plays sublime football which attracts fans from around the globe to come and witness the spectacle up close, and he doesn't disappoint.

Messi might have had a somewhat dour World Cup, but to expect one man to carry an entire team of players is unfair. Football is a team effort, and when the chemistry is strong between the players, that's when the magic happens.

The Argentine's huge wages may only increase in the future as the club bids to hang onto the footballing icon for as long as possible.