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The game of football is evolving and becoming more money-driven. Clubs across Europe have been splashing serious cash in the transfer market as a move for any target no longer happens easily.
In order to lure their desired targets, the clubs offer some huge wages. Gone are the days when a major record-breaking deal was only expected to happen only in the summer. Philippe Coutinho's £142m move to Spain in the January transfer window an example of this
The reason being simple, "be there with cash, and you have the player."
Another headline-grabbing transfer was Alexis Sanchez signing for Manchester United. With little hesitation, United met the asking price for Alexis and fulfilled hisdemands to be the top earner in England.
Deservedly, the players earn a significant part of the huge revenues they help bring in, here, we take a look at 10 clubs with the biggest wage bills across Europe.
#10 Juventus - £150 million
Top earner: Gonzalo Higuain (£130,000-per-week)
The Old Lady is an unusual name on the list dominated by English clubs. Juventus have a lot of talent in the squad. However, their wage structure has been something of a reason for disappointment for their players.
With the likes of Paulo Dybala being in demand across Europe, the Bianconeri would need to raise their players' wages to keep them from the ravenous wolves in England and Spain.
In the coming years, Juve could be losing some incredible players if they don't reform their wage structure.
However, their closest rivals? AC Milan is on a low £108 million.
#9 Liverpool FC- £210 million
Top earner: Virgil Van-Dijk (£180,000-per-week)
The Reds have dropped drastically on the list given that its wage bill was larger than that of Manchester City last year.
Liverpool has lower revenue compared to their Premier League rivals, this is due to a lack of silverware in recent times.
A cautious period of activity and Philippe Coutinho's departure has seen the club drop down to the penultimate position on the list.
The figure is expected to grow, the upcoming summer as manager Jurgen Klopp is expected to spend to bolster the defence. Naby Keita is joining from RB Leipzig and he is expected to earn a considerable amount as wages.
#8 Arsenal- £230 million
Top earner: Mesut Ozil (£350,000-per-week)
Arsenal's wage bill has increased after Alexis's departure in January. Arsenal signed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrik Mkhitaryan in January.
Also, Mesut Ozil has been handed a new contract for the next three-and-a-half years.
The wage bill has grown approximately 9% on a year-on-year basis. It remains to be seen if Arsenal offloads some of the players in summer to get the balance sheets leveraged.
However, Wenger would be looking to handing Jack Wilshere a new contract. It could be an issue in the Arsenal boardroom where some members are expected to insist on some player sales to balance the books.
#7 Bayern Munich - £235 million
Top earner: Robert Lewandowski (£200,000-per-week)
Bayern doesn't have the biggest of the wage bill as it has a relatively young group of players who are content with the game time/wages they get at the Allianz Arena.
The German champions have seen their wage bill rise this year after the acquisitions of Kingsley Coman and Corentin Tolisso. James Rodriguez's loan move from Real Madrid has temporarily added to the wage bill for the Bavarians.
However, Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, and Rafinha would be free agents in summer and new arrivals could be expected to fill in for them. The figure might increase by close to a quarter of a million next summer as the German side looks to push for Champions League success.
#6 Real Madrid- £240 million
Top earner: Cristiano Ronaldo (£365,000-per-week, after tax)
The Spanish side made no major signings this season. Most of their business has come in form of departures as Alvaro Morata, Danilo, Pepe, James (loaned) have left the Spanish capital.
This has seen Real's wage bill drop substantially but a major squad revamp is expected to happen at the Bernabeu given the poor performances this season.
However, the salary figure should not increase by more than 5% over the next year as some top-earners would be replaced by the new arrivals.
#5 Chelsea - £250 million
Top earner: Eden Hazard (£200,000-per-week)
Chelsea has dropped behind Manchester City after De Bruyne penned down a new deal with the club. The Londoners saw their wage bill rise in the summer after the arrival of Alvaro Morata, Tiemoue Bakayoko, and Antonio Rudiger.
Given the managerial changes expected at the Bridge, Chelsea could be set for yet another summer of spending. It should be no surprise if the Blues regain their lost spot ahead of 2019.
Gary Cahill, Thibault Courtois, Pedro and Francesc Fabregas would be entering the last 12 months of their contracts and a few of these names would be seeking renewals.
The salary figures are likely to increase for the next year as Chelsea are expected to spend heavily in the market.
#4 Manchester City - £262 million
Top earner: Kevin de Bruyne (£260,000-per-week)
Manchester City has been spending heavily under Spanish boss Pep Guardiola. City's wage bill rose by more than 6.25% in January after the signing of Aymeric Laporte and Kevin de Bruyne's new contract.
Man City have handed a new contract to their star-man de Bruyne which makes puts him third on the list of top earners.
Yaya Toure would be a free agent this summer. His hefty wages would be wiped out along with Vincent Kompany's while youngsters like Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling are believed to be up for new deals.
Thus, a further increase in the figures is expected as Guardiola would be looking at bolstering his squad to challenge for every trophy.
#3 Paris Saint-Germain - £279 million
Top earner: Neymar (£600,000-per-week)
PSG are shockingly third in the list even after having the most expensive player in the history in their side. Neymar's arrival saw PSG top the list last year, but the French side have been outdone convincingly.
With Kylian Mbappe ready to become a PSG player on a permanent basis, we expect the wage bill to grow in the coming year. The French giants would be also be looking to sell players like Javier Pastore and Angel Di Maria as they enter the last year of their contracts.
The Ligue 1 side needs to bolster its defence and could be out to spend in the summer. This could well add to their wage bill.
#2 FC Barcelona- £281 million
Top earner: Lionel Messi (£500,000-per-week)
FC Barcelona could not have made to the top 3 had it not been for Lionel Messi's staggering new contract. The Argentine penned down a new deal with the Catalan side which makes him the highest earner of the team.
Barca also signed Philippe Coutinho in January for a club record fee and Gerard Pique was also handed a new contract which has helped to put Barca second on the list.
Any major changes in the squad are not expected at Barcelona. Most of the players have substantial time left on their contracts meaning the figures won't change by much next season.
#1 Manchester United - £287 million
Top earner: Alexis Sanchez (£350,000-per-week basic)
Manchester United finally lead the chart after two years. United were way down the list last year behind Manchester City but after making moves in the January window, the status has changed.
Alexis's arrival added significantly to the bill as the Chilean is currently the highest paid player in England. His weekly earnings is close to £500,000 when image rights and bonuses are added.
This is, however, not the end for United. Paul Pogba and David de Gea are said to be unhappy with the new arrival's wages and managing director, Ed Woodward may have to cross the £300m mark next season to keep his players content.
Moreover, players like Ander Herrera, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Ashley Young, Luke Shaw, Matteo Darmian and Daley Blind would be free agents in summer so United could trim the wage bill significantly if/when these players leave.
