What Georginio Wijnaldum’s weekly Al-Ettifaq wage is as Coventry City plot move | OneFootball

Coventry City have been linked with a move for the ex-Liverpool star

Coventry City could be set for a busy summer of transfer activity after securing promotion to the Premier League.

The Sky Blues clinched top spot in the Championship table with a comfortable 11-point margin to Ipswich Town in second.

Frank Lampard guided the club back to the top flight after a 25-year absence, with their last campaign at that level being in 2001.

Coventry had reached the play-offs in two of the previous three seasons, losing to Luton Town in the final in 2023, as well as Sunderland in the semi-final in 2025.

But now the work will begin on building a team capable of competing in the Premier League, with it being reported that former Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum is being targeted.

Here we use estimated figures from Capology to see how much the Dutchman was earning during his three-year stint with Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq…

Georginio Wijnaldum’s Al-Ettifaq wages

Wijnaldum made the switch to Al-Ettifaq in 2023, signing a three-year deal that has now expired, meaning he is available as a free agent.

During the midfielder’s time in England, he won one Premier League title, the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

But he made the switch to PSG in 2021 after five years at Anfield, winning a Ligue 1 title as part of his spell in France.

Wijnaldum also played for AS Roma after his departure from Liverpool, helping the Italian side reach the Europa League final in 2023, which they lost on penalties to Sevilla.

The Dutchman became Al-Ettifaq’s highest paid player when he made the move away from European football.

The now 35-year-old’s contract was worth £250,223 per week, which far exceeded the salary received by the next highest paid player.

The next best paid player was Álvaro Medrán, with the Spaniard receiving £68,061 per week while teammates with the ex-Liverpool star.

Coventry City’s highest paid players

It’s highly likely that Wijnaldum will need to take a significant pay cut with any European side he looks to join this summer, as it’s hard to imagine many teams looking to pay a 35-year-old that much.

However, Coventry will still need him to take an even bigger cut than most teams will require based on their current wage structure.

While promotion to the Premier League likely means they can spend a bit more on wages, the Sky Blues still had the 13th highest payroll in the Championship last season at a total of £328,000 per week.

The highest paid players are Luke Woolfenden, Ellis Simms, Haji Wright and Matt Grimes, with the quartet each receiving £25,000 per week from the club.

Kaine Kesler-Hayden is next in line, with the defender earning £20,000 per week since making the switch from Aston Villa last summer, while Liam Kitching is behind him on a deal worth £17,500-a-week.