European football’s 10 highest-paid new signings of 2023-24: Kane 2nd…
The likes of Neymar, Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante are earning serious bunce out in Saudi Arabia, but Europe’s elite clubs are still able to pay out a pretty penny when it comes to player wages.
The likes of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barcelona might struggle to match Saudi Pro League clubs for the biggest wages in world football, but they can offer prestige that continues to attract younger players that are yet to reach the peak of their powers.
We’ve taken a look through the figures on Capology and put together this top 10 of the top-paid new signings across European football this summer.
10. Sandro Tonali (Newcastle, £210k)
The Italy international immediately becomes the top earner in Eddie Howe’s Newcastle dressing room – and if the figures are to be believed, he earns almost twice as much as the likes of Alexander Isak (£120k), Bruno Guimaraes (£120k) and Kieran Tripper (£110k).
That’s on top of the £55million that the Magpies paid for his signature. But on the evidence of his superb debut against Aston Villa, Tonali might just be worth it.
All that dough and he goes out to Spoons.
This very much feels like Sandro Tonali has asked his teammates for restaurant recommendations and they’ve told him that Spoons is the height of sophistication. https://t.co/syf1hQbWvc
— HLTCO (@HLTCO) August 15, 2023
9. Declan Rice (Arsenal, £240k)
Only Moises Caicedo has moved clubs for a higher transfer fee this summer, and Arsenal have made sure that their £105million top target will be well well-remunerated over the course of his five-year deal at the Emirates.
Rice immediately goes into the Premier League’s top 20 highest-earners – he takes home about as much as Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, but marginally less than his England team-mates Reece James and John Stones.
8. Marco Asensio (PSG, £241k)
Following in the footsteps of Keylor Navas and Sergio Ramos in swapping the Spanish capital for the French capital, Asensio departed boyhood club Real Madrid at the end of last season after reportedly turning down a bumper contract extension offer.
The 27-year-old winger has joined PSG and it’ll be interesting to see how he performs for Luis Enrique’s new-look side. You imagine the lack of transfer fee factored into his agent’s negotiations when it comes to his considerable pay packet at the Parc des Princes.
7. Milan Skriniar (PSG, £271k)
The experienced Slovakian centre-back played his final match for Inter in last season’s Champions League final defeat to Manchester City, confirming his exit by describing it as a “sad way to say goodbye” in his post-match interview.
Skriniar fills the vacancy left by Ramos in PSG’s backline. As with Asensio, joining on a free surely factors into his hefty wages.
READ: 13 of the best free transfers since 2000 feat. Arsenal, Liverpool & Man Utd…
6. Kai Havertz (Arsenal, £280k)
The top-paid new Premier League signing of 2023, Havertz’s contract makes him Arsenal’s top earner – it’s estimated that he takes home about £85,000 more a week than Bukayo Saka.
Havertz’s agent is certainly earning his corn.
5. Ilkay Gundogan (Barcelona, £311k)
“It’s an incredible team and for me a great opportunity to be able to play in a different league and in a different country,” the Germany international said after leaving Pep Guardiola’s treble-winners.
Barcelona have only spent about €3million on transfers this summer, but it would be an overstatement to suggest that the Catalans are cash-strapped given what they’re paying Gundogan.
The 32-year-old has signed a two-year deal at the Camp Nou. He was only registered on the eve of the 2023-24 campaign after Barcelona found new economic levers to pull.
4. Lucas Hernandez (PSG, £315k)
A stalwart of Didier Deschamps’ world-conquering Les Blues side of recent years, Hernandez will be plying his trade in France for the first time in his career after growing up in Madrid and spending the last four years with Bayern Munich.
The dynamic defender joined PSG for a reported €40million transfer fee and immediately becomes one of their top earners. The Parisiens boast the highest wage bill in the world and it’s no surprise to see them shelling out considerably for a World Cup winner.
3. Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid, £345k)
England’s great hope arrives with a deal that gives him immediately gives him parity with Vinicius Junior and puts him just behind Toni Kroos, David Alaba and Luka Modric.
That’s an unthinkable amount of dosh for a 20-year-old to be taking home but we have a feeling he’ll be worth every penny. Bellingham has all the makings of a Los Blancos legend.
Jude Bellingham has ARRIVED at Real Madrid! 😤
The debutant gets his goal and celebrates in style 🙌 pic.twitter.com/1zuDcATb9j
— Viaplay Sports UK (@ViaplaySportsUK) August 12, 2023
2. Harry Kane (Bayern Munich, £415k)
The most high-profile import to the Bundesliga in decades, Kane has paused his ambitions of breaking the Premier League goalscoring record for lifting silverware with Bayern.
The perennial Bundesliga champions boast all of the top 10 highest-paid players in Germany and have made the England captain their
READ: The 25 highest-paid Bundesliga players in 2023-24: Where does Harry Kane rank?
1. Ousmane Dembele (PSG, £603k)
The last time that Dembele replaced Neymar in a head-spinning transfer saga, it didn’t go especially well. The winger took time to settle at Barcelona and struggled with injuries.
Yet over the past five years there’s a sense that he’s grown considerably – both in his off-field maturity and his on-pitch consistency – so he might just be what PSG need.
The 26-year-old has agreed an absolute colossal salary with the Ligue 1 champions, but it’s still 40% less than Neymar was on. And his arrival has reportedly resulted in his best mate Kylian Mbappe agreeing to stay put with a contract extension.
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