Money makes the world go round. And that notion is particularly true for footballers, especially for those earning their corn in the Premier League, as they often take home jaw-dropping amounts of money each week.

It has now become a construct that fans and pundits alike tend to converse about. Most notably, whether footballers deserve to be paid much more than their teammates based on a string of factors.

The likes of Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Ivan Toney have seen their weekly salaries rise dramatically since their moves to Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and the Saudi Pro League respectively. But which Englishmen are receiving eyebrow-raising amounts of money each week? And who, rightly or wrongly, is being paid the most?

1 Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli)

£406,730-per-week

Although Ivan Toney became something of a cult hero while at Brentford, his future in west London was always uncertain. The attacker made no secret of his desire to leave the club during his years in the top flight, and several Premier League teams were linked with a move, hoping to recruit the man who scored 36 league goals in 85 games.

In the end, though, Toney was presented with an attractive proposition by Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli, one that ultimately proved too good to turn down. He is now earning £406,730-per-week in the Middle East – a substantial pay rise compared to his relatively pitiful weekly salary of £20,000 at the G-tech Community stadium.

2 Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)

£398,599-per-week

England’s all-time top goalscorer earned a mammoth pay rise when he penned a deal with new employers Bayern Munich, worth £398,599-per-week. After a record-breaking haul of 44 goals in 45 games, it’s safe to say that Thomas Tuchel and his entourage got their money’s worth in 2023/24, despite the lack of silverware.

Harry Kane‘s innate potency in front of goal has transcended the Bundesliga, which put him firmly in the conversation for this year’s Ballon d’Or award. Should England’s latest centurion continue to score at an unfathomable rate, he may be in line for a pay increase just months into his contract at the club.

3 Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)

£332,112-per-week

At the tender age of 21, Jude Bellingham announced himself as arguably the brightest young prospect in the world of football. Having shone for Borussia Dortmund in yesteryear, Real Madrid emptied their pockets and parted ways with £88.5m for his signature in the summer of 2023 – and with that came a healthy wage package.

The Stourbridge-born star earns £332,112-per-week and it has certainly paid dividends given he finished third in the 2023/24 La Liga golden boot race with 19 strikes from the midfield area. Already an integral part of his national side too, Bellingham has paved the way for other English youngsters wanting to make their mark on international football.

4 Raheem Sterling (Arsenal – On Loan From Chelsea)

£325,000-per-week

From blitzing defenders on the wing for Manchester City to carrying the burden for Chelsea, Raheem Sterling has always tended to receive a big weekly pay day. The Blues, under Todd Boehly’s reign, have been keen to splash the cash on big transfer fees, while also offering their players hefty wages.

However, despite Sterling topping the list of Chelsea earners while at Stamford Bridge, his future was cast into doubt following the arrival of Enzo Maresca. Banished from the first team, the winger moved on loan to Arsenal, and while he will continue to be paid his full salary. The Gunners are covering less than half of Sterling’s wages – ensuring that Chelsea are effectively paying the winger more than £150,000-per-week to play for one of their capital rivals.

5 Jack Grealish (Manchester City)

£300,000-per-week

Much was made of the £100 million fee paid by Pep Guardiola and his team to snare the services of Jack Grealish in 2021 given his low level of expertise in the Premier League. That didn’t seem to stop the Spaniard from offering him £300,000-per-week to ply his trade at the Etihad Stadium, however.

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Whether he has justified his heavy weekly outlay is a conversation for another day, but you’d expect more end product for someone who is seeing over a quarter of a million enter their bank account every week. Nevertheless, Grealish contributes an awful lot besides output, so if he can raise that, he will be well worth what City are paying him.

6 Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)

£300,000-per-week

Manchester-born and bred Marcus Rashford, although he is currently on loan at Aston Villa, is the highest-earning Manchester United player on this list. His pay rise to £300,000-per-week came as a reward for a fine 2022/23 campaign that saw him tot up 30 goals and 11 assists in all competitions.

But the winger failed to fire on the same cylinders in 2023/24, dropping out of the team at points during the season and not looking himself. That was enough for him to also lose his place in England’s squad at Euro 2024, something which would have been a huge ambition for him. The Red Devils are believed to want to sell this summer, but any interested parties will likely have to match what he earns at Old Trafford.

7 Mason Mount (Manchester United)

£250,000-per-week

Mason Mount, now of Manchester United, was much further down this list while playing for his boyhood club, Chelsea. The playmaker was signed by the Red Devils in the summer of 2023 and now receives a whopping £250,000-per-week in Manchester. Only three players at Old Trafford take home more than the injury-prone Englishman.

His start to life in Manchester has left a lot to be desired, with him named as one of the most disappointing Premier League signings of 2023/24, though his progression has been halted by a string of fitness problems. Still just 26 years of age, Mount recorded one assist and one goal in his inaugural season at the Theatre of Dreams, and may not even reach that tally in his second term after continued injury problems.

8 John Stones (Manchester City)

£250,000-per-week

Given his importance to Pep Guardiola’s blueprint for winning football matches, it’s surprising to see John Stones not earning more money in City threads. The experienced England international, who became a regular next to Harry Maguire and others for Gareth Southgate, earns £250,000-a-week at club level.

Versatile enough to be deployed in an array of positions, the centre-back (by trade, at least) has played over 250 games for the Citizens and had a key part to play in their treble-winning 2022/23 season. But that still isn’t enough to be among City’s highest earners, nor is it enough to be in the same bracket for Englishmen, despite being considered to be one of the best centre-backs in the league.

9 Jadon Sancho (Chelsea – On Loan From Manchester United)

£250,000-per-week

After their long-standing interest in Borussia Dortmund ace Jadon Sancho finally paid off, Manchester United were willing to put a £250,000-per-week contract on the table in a heartbeat. And rightfully so – the Englishman tore the Bundesliga to shreds, though his form has seen a dramatic decline since arriving at Old Trafford in 2021.

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Having been exiled from the first team after a public falling out with Erik ten Hag, Sancho spent the second half of the 2023/24 season on loan back at Dortmund, where he helped them reach the Champions League final. He’s currently spending the season in west London with Chelsea. The Blues are thought to be covering a proportion of Sancho’s United salary before forcing him onto a more incentivised deal with a lower basic wage from next season onwards.

10 Reece James (Chelsea)

£250,000-per-week

Chelsea captain Reece James earns the same amount as Stones and Sancho. Having taken on captaincy responsibilities upon Cesar Azpilicueta’s exit, the English full-back has seen his season marred by injuries… once again. Despite his constant unavailability, James’ influence on Chelsea’s play is unrivalled and their £250,000 weekly spend on his services is well deserved.

A terrific player in his own right, James has to compete with the likes of Kyle Walker, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Tino Livramento (a trio of players he earns more than) for the right-back berth at international level and, as such, has been limited to just 16 games for his nation. That will surely rise if he can stay fit, though.

11 Declan Rice (Arsenal)

£240,000-per-week

Former West Ham United captain Declan Rice arrived at the Emirates Stadium to much fanfare as he was labelled the final piece of their puzzle. He has formed the fulcrum of Mikel Arteta’s side, becoming one of their most integral players and earns a healthy £240,000-per-week in return.

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The Englishman looks to be perfect captain material for the capital club in the near future and his lofty wage attests to that. Arsenal certainly look to be pushing the boat out on the wages front by handing wads of money to those who will be mainstays in the long term for Arteta and his project.

12 Phil Foden (Manchester City)

£225,000-per-week

Predicted as one of the next 14 Ballon d’Or winners, Manchester City’s Phil Foden is well within his rights of earning £225,000-per-week, although his wage is lower than many of his compatriots. The Stockport-born 24-year-old has enjoyed a trophy-ladened stint at his boyhood club including six Premier Leagues, two FA Cups, four League Cups and the solitary Champions League title. And what is most impressive is how influential Foden has been over that period of trophy hoarding.

Since his promotion to senior proceedings, he has regularly delivered in the final third and was named Premier League Player of the Season for 2023/24. He’s now established himself as one of the regular starters under Pep Guardiola and will be crucial to the Cityzens’ future.

13 Ben Chilwell (Crystal Palace – On Loan From Chelsea)

£200,000-per-week

Despite not earning the same amount as his former full-back partner in crime, James, Ben Chilwell is still pocketing a comfortable £200,000-per-week. As mentioned earlier, Boehly and his team have not been afraid to offer players – old and new – substantial pay packets to get/keep them on board and Chilwell’s wage represents that.

There is no place in Chelsea’s lopsided setup for an overlapping full-back like Chilwell, who is yet to even make it onto the bench for a Premier League game this season and thus, he was sent on loan to Crystal Palace as a means of earning senior minutes. The Eagles are covering half of his take home.

14 Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)

£195,000-per-week

Despite being a vital cog in Mikel Arteta’s well-oiled north London machine, Bukayo Saka earns a “measly” £195,000-per-week. And while – on face value, at least – that is a lot of money, it isn’t so in the grand scheme of footballers’ weekly wages.

Interestingly, Saka earns less than five of his Arsenal teammates, including his compatriot Rice, who joined the north Londoners in 2023. But should his high level of performance continue, and if he fires them to some sort of silverware in the coming seasons, he’ll be next in line for a mammoth pay rise at Arsenal. Given his importance to the side’s fortunes, he deserves it more than anybody else on the payroll.

15 Harry Maguire (Manchester United)

£190,000-per-week

Featuring in the top 15 in the England set-up is Manchester United defender Harry Maguire. Despite being ousted from first-team action following the arrival of Lisandro Martínez and Raphael Varane, the Englishman has enjoyed a redemption arc for the ages, becoming one of few standout stars for Ruben Amorim in the 2024/25 campaign.

That being said, it was only in the summer of 2023 that Maguire’s time at Old Trafford seemed to be over. Now he is performing beyond his perceived means and earning £190,000-per-week while doing it, so remaining at the Theatre of Dreams cannot be ruled out for the foreseeable future.

16 Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)

£180,000-per-week

Earning £10,000 less than the United centre half is Trent Alexander-Arnold. Arguably one of the best right-backs in the league, you’d think that the defender would be earning a little more at Anfield. A lot of criticism has been aimed at his defensive capabilities over the years, but make no mistake about it, he’s still one of the best attacking full-backs on the planet.

The role changed significantly due to his performances there and that’s a testament to how special a talent he is. He’s strong defensively, and exceptional going forward. Now in the final year of his deal, there is a real possibility of Alexander-Arnold leaving Liverpool in search of a better pay packet elsewhere.

17 James Maddison (Tottenham)

£170,000-per-week

Following the departure of Harry Kane to Bayern Munich, it was always going to be tough to find a replacement for the elite centre-forward. In James Maddison, Spurs may not have an outright replacement for the goals that are no longer there, but they do have one of the country’s biggest attacking threats.

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When he first arrived, the partnership that Maddison forged with Son Heung-min helped propel the north Londoners to the top of the league. Following his injury, Spurs dropped down the table and failed to hit the same heights when he returned to the fold, but his early impact was there for all to see, hence his presence among the best signings in 2023/24. Following a lengthy summer break after getting snubbed from England’s Euro 2024 squad, Maddison is yet to hit the same heights he scaled in his first few months as a Tottenham player.

18 Ben White (Arsenal)

£150,000-per-week

After signing a brand-new bumper contract in March 2024, Ben White has proven his innate versatility by playing out of his natural position. A centre-back by trade, the Englishman had previously nailed down a regular starting position for the Gunners – but as a full-back.

The 27-year-old, who pockets £150,000-per-week, has taken to his new role like a duck to water, repaying Arteta’s faith in him and becoming a cornerstone of Arsenal’s fantastic defence alongside Gabriel and William Saliba. He might not offer the same creativity as the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, but when it comes to defending, there aren’t many right-backs better in the league than White.

19 Luke Shaw (Manchester United)

£150,000-per-week

There were times when big doubts came up about whether Luke Shaw was the man to start at left-back in the long term for Manchester United. He was regularly criticised by Jose Mourinho but has since silenced his loudest critics with excellent performances that have made him the starting left-back for both his club and country when fit. But that’s the root of the problem: he’s seldom available.

Arguably the best English player at Old Trafford, injuries plagued his progress under Erik ten Hag last term. Those familiar fitness struggles limited Shaw to a pair of substitute appearances before starting the Euro 2024 final. Following England’s late loss to Spain, Shaw duly returned to the treatment room.

20 Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United)

£150,000-per-week

Having started his career with Everton, much was said about the manner in which Anthony Gordon departed Goodison Park. The winger wanted a move to Newcastle United, which he would eventually get in January of 2023, though only after forcing through the transfer, much to the disdain of the Everton faithful.

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Since his arrival on Tyneside, Gordon has steadily developed into one of manager Eddie Howe’s most important players, being utilised as the left prong of a front three including Alexander Isak and Jacob Murphy. The winger blossomed last season, notching 21 goal contributions in 35 Premier League games. Though Gordon is unlikely to match that tally in the current campaign, he remains a key player for both club and country.