The Premier League remains the richest league in world football, with an extraordinary wealth flowing from the board to the pitch. The English top flight continues to spend more than its European rivals, attracting elite coaches and players, but these ambitions come with huge wage bills.
Transfer spending regularly exceeds £1 billion each summer, and player wages have followed the same upward trajectory. With wages rising every season, the question of who earns the most has never been more interesting.
The Telegraph below brings you the five highest-paid players in the Premier League in the 2025/26 season, one of whom has not yet played a single match.
5. Raheem Sterling (Chelsea) - Weekly salary: £325,000
Raheem Sterling has rarely been short of lucrative contracts, from his trophy-laden years at Manchester City to his lucrative move to Chelsea. Todd Boehly's Blues were quick to offer elite wages, making Sterling one of the club's highest-paid players immediately upon his arrival.
However, his position at Stamford Bridge was reduced following the appointment of Enzo Maresca, leading to a loan spell at Arsenal, with the Blues still covering the majority of his wages. Now back in London, Sterling continues to earn £325,000-a-week despite not making any appearances in the 2025/26 season.
4. Casemiro (Manchester United) - Weekly salary: £350,000
Casemiro arrived at Manchester United in 2022 as a serial winner, fresh from a string of Champions League triumphs with Real Madrid. He initially justified his £350,000-a-week wages by adding strength and leadership to United's midfield and helping to end their trophy drought.
Since then, consistency has been an issue, with performances fluctuating and question marks growing over his long-term future. With his contract expiring in 2026 and wages among the highest at Old Trafford, an extension looks increasingly unlikely.
3. Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) - Weekly salary: £350,000
Virgil van Dijk's presence among the league's highest-paid players underlines how highly Liverpool value their defensive leader. Centre-backs rarely command comparable wages to their attacking stars, making Van Dijk's £350,000-a-week wage a reflection of his status as an elite player.
Despite speculation of a possible departure in 2025, the Dutchman committed to a new deal that runs until the summer of 2027. At 34, he remains one of the Premier League's most influential defenders.
2. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) - Weekly salary: £400,000
Mohamed Salah has been at the heart of Liverpool's success for almost a decade, scoring goals, trophies and countless decisive moments. His two-year extension signed in April 2025 secured him a salary of £400,000-a-week, rewarding him with a stunning title-winning campaign in 2024/25.
While his form this season has dipped and tensions with Arne Slot have become apparent, Salah remains one of the league's most feared forwards. Few players in England combine performance and longevity like the Egyptian star.
1. Erling Haaland (Manchester City) - Weekly salary: £525,000
Erling Haaland is comfortably at the top of the Premier League wage hierarchy after signing a long-term deal with Manchester City. Since arriving in England, he has rewritten goalscoring records, including breaking the Premier League single-season goalscoring record in the 2022/23 campaign.
His wages rose from £375,000-a-week to a staggering £525,000 after his new contract, reflecting his importance to Pep Guardiola's system. Despite City's trophyless season last term, Haaland's return to form in 2025/26 confirms his status as the league's most valuable and highest-paid striker. /Telegraph/
