How Coventry City, Middlesbrough and Ipswich Town's wage bills compare with Premier League in sight | OneFootball

Comparing the wage bills of Coventry, Middlesbrough and Ipswich as they all eye Premier League promotion

Coventry City, Middlesbrough and Ipswich Town are all in contention for automatic promotion to the Premier League this season.

The Sky Blues missed out on a place in the top flight last year after losing to Sunderland in the play-off semi-finals.

Meanwhile, Kieran McKenna’s side are aiming to return to the division after just one year out following their relegation last season, as they came 19th in the table.

Middlesbrough have not competed in the Premier League since 2017, and their last top six finish came in 2023 under Michael Carrick.

The battle for a top two place this season could go down to the wire, particularly for Boro and Ipswich, with Coventry now opening a bit of a gap to the chasing pack with their recent run of wins.

Here we use estimated figures from Capology to compare the wage bills of three of the main promotion protagonists this season.

Coventry, Middlesbrough and Ipswich’s highest paid players

Of these three promotion-chasing sides, it is Ipswich with the highest total payroll at a weekly cost of £569,500.

And they also have the highest paid permanent member of any of these first team squads, with Dara O’Shea and Leif Davis’ £35,000 per week salaries the highest of them all.

Other high earners at Portman Road also include the £30,000 per week salaries of Ashley Young, Azor Matusiwa and Ben Johnson, with the former duo both arriving last summer in the transfer window.

Meanwhile, all of George Hirst, Christian Walton and Darnell Furlong receive £27,500 per week from the Tractor Boys.

Between Coventry and Middlesbrough, it is the latter who has a higher total payroll, with the Teesside outfit paying their squad £405,769 per week.

The highest paid member of Kim Hellberg’s side is Luke Ayling, with the defender earning £30,000 per week.

Other high earners on permanent deals include Morgan Whittaker and Alfie Jones, who both earn £25,000 per week, along with Callum Brittain and Sontje Hansen’s £20,000-a-week salaries.

The Sky Blues’ total payroll costs £328,000-a-week, and Haji Wright, Ellis Simms and Luke Woolfenden are their highest paid players, with the trio all receiving £25,000 per week.

Their next best paid player is Kaine Kesler-Hayden, who arrived last summer from Aston Villa on a £20,000-a-week deal.

Highest paid players in the Championship in 2025/26

None of Ipswich, Middlesbrough or Coventry are top of the payroll table in the Championship this year, with that honour instead going to relegation-threatened Leicester City.

The Foxes pay £822,500 per week to their first team squad, while Sheffield United and Southampton round out the top three with £606,750 and £606,500 weekly total.

The Tractor Boys rank fourth, with Boro eighth behind Norwich City, Birmingham City and Hull City.

Meanwhile, league leaders Coventry are punching above their weight with the 13th highest weekly payroll in the second division.

West Brom, Stoke City, Watford and Wrexham separate Lampard’s side from the Teesside outfit.

The highest paid player in the league is Leicester’s Harry Winks, with the midfielder earning