How much West Brom are forking out on wages every year - It's more than Coventry and Middlesbrough | OneFootball

FLW take a look at how much the Baggies' wage bill is compared to the Sky Blues and Middlesbrough

West Bromwich Albion are spending a fair whack more on player wages for the 2025/26 season than Championship rivals Coventry City and Middlesbrough.

By the way the new season is going, each of these three clubs have serious promotion ambitions - and Baggies’ expenditure reflects owner Shilen Patel's determination to bring top-flight football back to The Hawthorns since 2021.

Ryan Mason's side are competing near the top end of the Capology Championship wage table - even after being placed under a business plan imposed by the EFL in 2024 to avoid breaking profit and sustainability rules.

Whereas Frank Lampard's table-topping Coventry are operating on a considerably lower budget, and Rob Edwards' Boro fall somewhere in between the two extremes.

Using Capology estimates, FLW take a look at just how much the trio are forking out this season.

West Bromwich Albion's wage bill towers above Coventry City and Middlesbrough

West Brom's estimated Capology annual wage bill of £21m works out at £404,000 per week, placing them sixth in the Championship behind Leicester, Southampton, Ipswich, Sheffield United and Norwich.

Meanwhile Coventry City are achieving their success on a fraction of West Brom's budget.

The Sky Blues' estimated Capology annual wage bill of £12.9 million translates to just £249,000 per week, making them one of the lowest spenders in the division.

Only Swansea City, Sheffield Wednesday, Portsmouth and Charlton operate on smaller weekly wage budgets in the second tier.

Middlesbrough occupy the middle ground with their £19.6 million annual outlay, equivalent to £378,000 per week. This is still a huge investment by owner Steve Gibson, who has converted nearly £150 million of debt into equity over recent years to keep the Teesside club financially sustainable.

Using these estimated figures, the reality is that West Brom are spending £8m per year more than Coventry and approximately £1.4 million more than Middlesbrough on player wages alone.

So, the figures do show the Baggies' intention to compete at the very top of the Championship under new Mason, who arrived from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer on a three-year contract - and he's probably on a very nice amount as well.

The different financial situations involving West Bromwich Albion, Coventry City and Middlesbrough

West Brom's huge wage bill surely stems a bit from their Premier League years, though the club no longer receives parachute payments following their relegation four years ago.

The aforementioned Patel, who completed his 87.8% takeover of the Black Country oufit in February last year, has been working to sure up the club's finances after inheriting a load of debt from Guochuan Lai.

Coventry's progress under their owner, Doug King, represents the opposite approach. King completed his full takeover in January 2023 - and turned existing club debt into equity, making them debt-free.

After doing this, he’s seemingly focused on building stability in the West Midlands - with investment going into improving their Ryton training ground rather than inflated wages.

Lastly, Boro's position is a reflection of Gibson's long-term commitment to the club he saved from liquidation all the way back in 1986.

It's understood that Gibson has invested around £250m into his beloved Boro since fronting a consortium of 10 directors that saved the North East Club from near extinction.

However, Middlesbrough were last in the Premier League themselves in 2017, and there's belief from our Teesside Fan Pundit, Liam Day, that "Steve Gibson's reign is coming to an end."

Ultimately, as the season continues to unfold for all three sides, Mason may somewhat be under the most pressure to justify West Brom's wage bill with results on the pitch.