How West Ham and Millwall’s wage bills really compare ahead of 2026/27 | OneFootball

West Ham and Millwall will renew their rivalry in 2026/27 following the former's relegation to the Championship

West Ham and Millwall will meet for the first time since 2012 next season following the former’s relegation from the Premier League.

The two clubs have a bitter rivalry that will be reignited, with the Lions failing in their bid to gain promotion this campaign.

Alex Neil’s side earned a third place finish in the Championship table, but lost to Hull City in the play-off semi-finals.

The Hammers won 3-0 on the final day of the Premier League season against Leeds United but it wasn’t enough to overcome the two-point gap to Tottenham Hotspur.

West Ham haven’t competed in the second division since 2011/12, where they drew 0-0 at the Den before winning 2-1 against their rivals at Upton Park.

Here we use estimated figures from Capology to compare Millwall’s wage bill to the Irons’ as they prepare to renew their rivalry in 2026/27…

Millwall’s wage bill

Millwall missed out on automatic promotion by just one point, earning an impressive tally of 83 under Neil this season.

The 2-0 loss to Hull ended the club’s hopes of earning promotion for the time being, but supporters will be optimistic that they can be in the mix again in 12 months’ time.

The Lions achieved their promotion push with a total wage bill worth £308,250 per week, which ranked 14th highest in the division.

The London outfit’s highest paid player for this season has been Joe Bryan, with the 32-year-old earning £32,500-a-week.

Other high earners include Alfie Doughty and Barry Bannan, who joined in the January window, and Jake Cooper.

The former Luton Town star receives £27,500 per week from Millwall, while Bannan and Cooper are both paid £17,500-a-week.

Clubs like Leicester City, Sheffield United and Southampton top the list for the highest payrolls in the Championship for 2025/26, and all three finished below Neil’s side in the table.

West Ham’s payroll

West Ham ranked 13th in the Premier League this season for the size of their total weekly wage bill, as they paid their squad £1.4 million.

However, it’s been reported by City AM that the club have negotiated 50 per cent pay cut clauses into their players’ contracts, which will half that total.

Their highest paid player in the Premier League was Jarrod Bowen, with the forward earning £150,000 per week, but that will be reduced to £75,000 as a result of their drop to the Championship.

Alphonse Areola and Max Kilman were both earning six figures each week, but their salaries will now be £60,000 and £50,000 per week, respectively.

Callum Wilson has also already announced his departure from the London outfit, meaning they will save a full £50,000 per week from his exit.

Lukasz Fabianski is also likely to depart the club, which will amount to another £50,000-a-week shaved from the wage bill.

With the 50 per cent reduction, this will bring their total weekly wage cost to £664,300 ahead of the summer market opening.

Compared to the 2025/26 Championship payrolls, that would still rank them second behind only Leicester’s £820,500 per week spend.