Money, it’s a gas. Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash.
When Pink Floyd recorded Money for their seminal Dark Side of the Moon album, released in 1973, professional football was a different ball game. There were no billionaire owners, exorbitant pay packets and clubs like Manchester United were not the global commercial giants they are nowadays.
Roger Waters’ lyrics can easily be applied to football. Top-level footballers now earn a serious amount of cash, so much so that they can make a stash. They can buy new cars, eat caviar and fly first-class, just like how David Gilmour sang it.
This year has only seen wages in football rise and, with 2017 coming to a close, SportsJOE lists the ten highest earners in the game. The wages quoted in this article come from Italian journalist Tancredi Palmeri, and are downright outrageous. It will only make intensify your jealousy of footballers. But try to enjoy it.
10. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) – €15m
🇵🇱 Robert Lewandowski in 2017 for club + country = 🔥🔥🔥
Favourite No9 in the #UCL? 💪 pic.twitter.com/RcEDr1SvJP
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) December 12, 2017
The Polish striker is the highest paid footballer in Germany. But, with as many goals as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi (both of whom we’ll come to later) in 2017, he’s good value for it. Lewandowski has been linked with a move to Real Madrid recently, where he would join up with Ronaldo. If the Bayern frontman does join Madrid, his pay packet would surely only increase.
9. Graziano Pelle (Shandong Luneng) – €16m
The Italian was a hit at Southampton, with 30 goals in two seasons, but ditched the Premier League to join the mega-rich Chinese Super League and must be enjoying life in a less intense league as one of the world’s highest paid players.
8. Axel Witsel (Tianjin Quanjian) – €18m
The Belgian midfielder was consistently linked with a move to the Premier League before moving to China back in January. Witsel won the Russian Premier League during his four-and-a-half year stint at Zenit St Petersburg and is expected to be named in the Belgium squad for next summer’s World Cup.
At 28, it’s disappointing that he isn’t spending the peak years of his career in one of the better leagues in the world, but he is an example of how the lucrative wages available in Chinese football have proven irresistible to some players.
7. Javier Mascherano (Hebei China Fortune) – €19m
This isn’t official yet, but Mascherano will reportedly earn the amount above when he completes his move to China, as expected, in January. The 33-year-old has only started five league games for Barcelona this season and the Argentine has reportedly decided it’s time to embark on a new challenge after falling down the pecking order under Ernesto Valverde.
6. Hulk (Shanghai SIPG) – €20m
Like Witsel, Hulk moved from Zenit to China, but the Brazilian moved to Shanghai in 2016. Although he was criticised for the move at the time, he has been a hit and scored 30 goals in 44 appearances last season. It has not helped his international career with Brazil though and the 32-year-old is not expected to be part of Tite’s World Cup squad.
5. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) – €21m
It may be surprising to many that Ronaldo isn’t top of this list. But, in terms of salary, he is not the best earner. The Portugal forward does earn more than anyone else in terms of endorsements, though, according to Forbes, meaning he is the richest footballer in the world.
4. Oscar (Shanghai SIPG) – €24m
The Brazilian stunned the Premier League when he turned down offers from several European clubs to move to China at the start of 2017. Entering his prime, it seemed like he was bypassing a career in one of the world’s top leagues for a better payday. At 26, there is still time for him to return.
3. Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain) – €30m
https://twitter.com/BrazilStat/status/938533186245726209
Neymar’s move from Barcelona to PSG was certainly one of the most spectacular transfers of all time. The Brazilian became the most expensive player of all time after joining the French side for over €200m. However, while leaving Barcelona was a questionable move, Neymar has been in scintillating form this season, scoring 17 times in 19 appearances to establish Unai Emery’s team as one of the favourites for this season’s Champions League.
T1. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) – €40m
Widely considered the greatest footballer in the world, the Argentine superstar is well looked after at Barcelona. Messi finally ended speculation over his long-term future by signing a new contract in November, keeping him at the Camp Nou until 2021. His new deal includes a buyout clause of €700m while he reportedly received an enormous signing on bonus of around €50m. He’s not doing too bad for himself.
T1. Carlos Tevez (Shanghai Shenhua) – €40m
With his £610,000-a-week wage, Carlos Tevez could buy:
2.4 million freddos 🍫
2,900 pairs of wireless Beats headphones 🎧
5 Audi R8s 🚗 pic.twitter.com/vo4PWfzumO— Soccer AM (@SoccerAM) January 19, 2017
Messi’s compatriot earns just as much, but he hasn’t been quite as prolific as he was in his heyday at Manchester City and Juventus, managing just four goals in 20 appearances for Shanghai. Tevez has recently been linked with a move back to Boca Juniors, which would be his third stint at his boyhood club.
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