Who has Premier League’s biggest and smallest wage bill? (Look away Chelsea fans)
Chelsea’s lavish spending since their takeover by Todd Boehly’s consortium has seen them amass the biggest wage bill in the Premier League, according to new research.
The Blues’ estimated payroll for this season totalled £216m, an increase of 18.3 per cent or more than £33m on the previous campaign.
That saw their salary costs overtake those of Manchester United (£213m), while Premier League champions Manchester City (£186m) rank third.
The data was compiled by Alliance Fund, a sport investment company, using base salaries verified by trusted industry platform Capology.
Chelsea’s vast outlay has not prevented the club from being on course for their worst points tally of the Premier League era.
The west London outfit, who have spent more than £500m on new players since Boehly’s consortium bought the club from sanctioned oligarch Roman Abramovich a year ago, are also set for their worst league finish since 1994.
Chelsea’s wage bill wasn’t the biggest riser, however – that was Nottingham Forest, whose payroll rocketed 230 per cent on their return to the top division after a 23-year absence.
Forest, the only team to make more new signings this term than Chelsea, saw salary costs snowball to £74m, the 12th highest in the Premier League.
The financial gamble paid off, however, as Steve Cooper led his promoted team to safety with one game to spare by beating Arsenal last weekend.
City’s basic wage bill was almost £30m less than those of Chelsea and United but Capology figures typically do not include performance related bonuses so may see a marked increase if they complete a treble by adding the FA Cup and Champions League next month.
Liverpool had the fourth biggest payroll, of £165m, despite looking certain to finish outside the top four for the first time since 2016.
The Reds’ spent £55m more on salaries than Premier League runners-up Arsenal and their north London neighbours Tottenham Hotspur, and more than double the £82m outlay of Newcastle United, who have ended two decades of Champions League exile.
The team with the lowest wage bill were Brentford, who ensured their best league finish for 85 years with a payroll of just £34m.
Brighton and Hove Albion were the other major overachievers, securing European football for the first time in the club’s history on salaries totalling less than £42m.