An extraordinary XI of Prem stars on lower salaries than Leicester’s highest-paid player | OneFootball

Leicester City are going down to League One and that’s alarming for a club who had the highest wage bill in this season’s Championship.

Relegation was confirmed for Leicester after their 2-2 draw with Hull City on Tuesday night, condemning them to third-tier football next season.

Players will undoubtedly leave or have to take wage cuts, but as things stand, Leicester will be taking down with them a group of players set to become League One’s best-paid.

Leicester’s top earner is former Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks on £90,000 per week, according to Capology.

To emphasise how ridiculous that would be for a League One club, here’s a brilliant XI of Premier League players currently earning less than that.

GK: Robin Roefs (Sunderland)

Sunderland know all about falling through the trapdoors into the Championship and League One, but finally reclaimed their Premier League status and invested wisely to mark their return.

One of their key signings has been Robin Roefs, who has become their first-choice goalkeeper and kept nine clean sheets in the league so far.

Roefs reportedly earns £30,000 per week.

RB: Daniel Munoz (Crystal Palace)

Crystal Palace gave Munoz his first chance to play in one of Europe’s top five leagues when they signed him from Genk in 2024.

The right-back agreed terms worth a reported £60,000 per week and has since turned a few heads with his performances in the Premier League. He is in our Premier League team of the season so far.

CB: Malick Thiaw (Newcastle United)

Thiaw has taken his move to Newcastle United from AC Milan in his stride, becoming a regular starter at centre-back for Eddie Howe’s side.

Although he came from a huge club, Thiaw wasn’t really a regular starter for Milan and actually earned a wage increase by joining Newcastle.

But that’s still said to be below the £90,000-a-week benchmark by a full £15,000.

CB: Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa)

After starting out in League One with Charlton and enjoying a season in the Championship with Brentford, Konsa has consistently performed in the Premier League for Aston Villa since 2019.

The centre-back signed a contract extension in 2023, thanks to which he allegedly earns £75,000 per week.

Konsa is now in with a good chance of starting for England at the World Cup.

LB: Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City)

O’Reilly has had a superb campaign and is starting to be mentioned in player of the season conversations, even if that’s just for the young players’ iteration.

Still only 21, it’s not too surprising that O’Reilly isn’t yet one of Manchester City’s better-paid players, even after extending his contract until 2030 in September.

His deal is estimated to be worth £30,000 per week.

CM: Martin Zubimendi (Arsenal)

Zubimendi was a £51m signing for Arsenal in the summer and he has been an impressive one at that.

His wages are supposedly only worth £75,000 per week, though, which is relatively modest for a midfielder of his pedigree.

The 27-year-old is in the prime of his career, competing for Premier League and Champions League titles

CM: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest)

Anderson will earn a massive wage rise this summer if he leaves Nottingham Forest, having caught the attention of some of the Premier League’s most powerful buying clubs.

For now, though, the talented 23-year-old is believed to be on £40,000 per week.

CM: Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)

Another talented midfielder highly touted for a move at some stage, Wharton is still on the terms of the deal he signed with Crystal Palace when stepping up from the Championship by leaving Blackburn Rovers in 2024.

That means he gets paid a reported £35,000 per week.

RW: Harry Wilson (Fulham)

Wilson’s contract with Fulham is about to expire and he could have good leverage for his next deal – whether that’s a renewal or a move elsewhere as a free agent – after scoring 10 goals in the Premier League this season.

Fulham are reportedly paying Wilson £55,000 per week at the moment after signing him from Liverpool in 2021.

LW: Jeremy Doku (Manchester City)

Doku plays for one of the richest clubs in the world and although he may need to improve his scoring rate to prove he deserves to stay there, he is one of Manchester City’s lowest-paid players on a reported £50,000 per week.

The 23-year-old winger practically doubled his earnings when he signed for City from Rennes in 2023.

CF: Igor Thiago (Brentford)

This season, Thiago is the top-scoring Premier League player whose name isn’t Erling Haaland.

And while Haaland is the league’s best-paid player, Capology claims Thiago is taking home a comparatively minor £75,000 per week.

That makes him Brentford’s joint-top earner, but hypothetically, he wouldn’t be Leicester’s.