The 11 highest paid players in the EFL Championship after the January transfer window | OneFootball

The 11 best paid players in the Championship this season

The January transfer window has now closed and clubs in the Championship know their squads for the remainder of the season.

It was a busy winter market, with teams up and down the second division looking for ways to improve their first team squads.

A number of big names were signed, with the likes of Coventry City, Middlesbrough, Hull City and Ipswich Town in contention for automatic promotion.

Meanwhile, near the bottom of the table, Norwich City, Oxford United, West Brom, Blackburn Rovers and Portsmouth were all active in a bid to aid their survival hopes.

Here we turn to finances using estimated figures from Capology to see who are now the top 11 paid players in the Championship.

Cameron Archer is in his second season at Southampton after joining the club in the 2024 summer transfer window.

The forward arrived with the hope of helping the Saints establish themselves back in the Premier League, but the team suffered relegation with a 20th place finish.

He made the move to St. Mary’s by signing a four-year deal, keeping him at the Hampshire outfit until the summer of 2028.

As part of that agreement, he receives £40,000 per week from the Championship side.

10 ? ? Nat Phillips

Nat Phillips joined West Brom from Liverpool in the 2025 summer transfer window after impressing during a loan spell with Derby County in the second tier.

The centre-back agreed to a three-year deal, keeping him at the Hawthorns until the summer of 2028, and he has cemented himself as a key part of the side as they battle against relegation to League One under Eric Ramsay.

The 28-year-old earns a wage worth £40,000 per week from the Midlands outfit, who are hoping to avoid falling to the third tier for the first time since 1992.

Mads Roerslev joined Southampton in the 2025 summer transfer window, arriving following their relegation from the Premier League.

It was reported that the club paid a fee of around £3 million to sign the 26-year-old, who took the step down from the top flight to move to the Hampshire outfit.

The full-back has struggled during his time at St. Mary’s so far, but he has a contract until June 2029, giving him time to find his feet at the club.

The Danish international currently receives £40,000 per week as part of his move from Brentford to Southampton.

8 ? ? Hamza Choudhury

Hamza Choudhury has come through the academy system at Leicester City, and he has established himself as a core part of the first team squad.

While it hasn't always been plain sailing for the academy graduate, who has struggled for consistent minutes in previous years, he has been a useful presence in the squad this season.

The midfielder required loan spells at Burton Albion, Watford and Sheffield United, but he has been a consistent presence in the side this season.

The 28-year-old has earned a salary of £50,000 per week as part of his most recent contract, which runs until June 2027.

Finn Azaz made a big money move from Middlesbrough to Southampton in the 2025 summer window in a deal worth a reported £15 million.

The playmaker impressed for the Teesside outfit, and the Saints paid a big fee to sign him in the hopes that he could help their pursuit of promotion straight back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

However, it’s been a tricky start to life for the Ireland international, even if his individual performance levels remain solid.

The 25-year-old agreed to a four-year contract when he made the move to the Hampshire outfit, and he was rewarded with a deal worth £50,000 per week.

Oliver Skipp made the switch from Tottenham Hotspur to Leicester in the 2024 summer transfer window, agreeing to a five-year deal in the process.

The midfielder was unable to help the Foxes remain in the Premier League after joining following their promotion from the Championship.

While he hasn't been a key part of the squad since joining from Spurs, he has still been a useful presence to have in the squad.

But he still receives £50,000 per week from the Leicestershire outfit as part of his contract, which runs until June 2029, meaning he is the fourth best paid player in the second division.

5 ? ? Carlos Vicente

Carlos Vicente is the latest signing to appear on this list so far, as the midfielder joined Birmingham City in the last few weeks during the January transfer market.

The Spaniard made the move to St. Andrew’s in a bid to bolster Chris Davies’ side, as they set their sights on competing for a play-off place.

It remains to be seen whether he will prove a worthwhile addition to the side, but he is certainly an example of the club's growing ambition.

As part of his move to the Blues from La Liga side Alaves, the 26-year-old agreed to a contract worth £50,000 per week.

4 ? ? Jannik Vestergaard

Jannik Vestergaard joined Leicester in the 2021 summer transfer window, arriving from Southampton.

The Dane has been a consistent presence for the Foxes in the years since, and was a key part of their promotion to the Premier League under Enzo Maresca in 2024, featuring in 42 of their 46 league fixtures.

The 33-year-old has a contract until June 2027, and is paid £60,000 per week by the Championship side.

Given his age and the Foxes' own financial concerns, it remains unclear whether he has a future at the club beyond this 2027 contract.

3 ? ? Patson Daka

Patson Daka also joined Leicester in the 2021 summer transfer window, signing for the club from RB Salzburg after impressing in the Austrian Bundesliga.

The forward has made over 100 league appearances for the team in the time since he made the move to the King Power Stadium.

But he has struggled to ever find the back of the net at a consistent rate, having been unable to cement himself as a key forward in the squad in the last few seasons.

The Zambia international is the third highest paid player in the second division, receiving a salary worth £75,000 per week.

2 ? ? Ricardo Pereira

Ricardo Pereira is now one of the longest-standing members of the Leicester squad, having joined the club in the 2018 summer transfer window.

The full-back has struggled with injury issues through the years, but at his best he has been one of the most important parts of the squad in that time.

The 30-year-old has earned the status as the second best paid player in the Championship, receiving a salary of £80,000 per week.