The Italian Serie A may not possess the financial pulling power of the all-consuming Premier League, but there is still some serious cash flying around Italia.
The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Romelu Lukaku, Alexis Sanchez, Ashley Young and Aaron Ramsey have all made that move to Serie A. This has boosted the league’s profile and attracting more attention from curious viewers.
With the league’s popularity on the increase, many people have enquired about the players and how much these footballers take home as stipends. In this article, we will go through the highest paid players in the Italian league this season.
Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport published its annual salary review of Serie A clubs after the European transfer window closed last week Monday.
Here are the 10 highest-earning footballers in Italy!
10. Alexis Sanchez (Inter Milan, €7m)
If combined with the percentage of his wage which Manchester United are still paying, Alexis Sanchez would be a comfortable second place in this list. However, Inter are contributing only (only) €7m a year for the Chilean. Smart business, if they get him firing.
9. Adrien Rabiot (Juventus, €7m)
Juventus signed Adrien Rabiot on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in 2019, and so far, he’s been a bit of a waste of money (a waste of wages, anyway). Another below-par season and I Bianconeri will be looking to get him off their bill for good.
8. Aaron Ramsey (Juventus, €7m)
Another freebie from the summer of 2019, Aaron Ramsey was always going to be in for a good pay day. Sure enough, he’s in the top ten earners in the whole country. Is he worth that to Juventus? The jury is still out, for now.
7. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (AC Milan, €7m)
Zlatan doesn’t earn money, money earns Zlatan (or some absolute nonsense). Anyway, despite approaching his late 50’s, Ibrahimovic is still mixing it with the very best at Milan. Good on ya, big man.
6. Paulo Dybala (Juventus, €7.3m)
Juventus’ third best-paid player, Paulo Dybala comes in as Serie A’s sixth highest earner. Arguably the most talented star in Turin, the Argentine may be hoping to bag a new deal over the next 12 months…but his chances of becoming number one in this list are minuscule, to say the least.
5. Edin Dzeko (AS Roma, €7.5m)
oma captain Edin Dzeko is the highest paid player at his club, and he has probably earned that right over the seasons. Approaching the twilight of his career, the Bosnian is showing no signs of slowing down in front of goal, as the cash keeps rolling in.
4. Christian Eriksen (Inter Milan, €7.5m)
Where to start with this one? Christian Eriksen knew his time was running out to get the big money move he craved, and although he’s got the cash, the fortunes haven’t come with it. Struggling to make a mark in this Inter side, questions are being asked over his future at San Siro.
3. Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan, €7.5m)
If anyone thought that Inter had taken on a risky expense in signing Romelu Lukaku, those worries have quickly been put to bed. The big Belgian striker is back to his prolific best, and if he fires I Nerazzurri to Scudetto glory, this financial outlay will be worth its weight in history.
2. Matthijs de Ligt (Juventus, €8m)
Matthijs de Ligt rolls in as the second best paid player in Serie A. This one makes sense. Signed at a young age, with bags of potential, Juventus have invested a lot of money in the ex-Ajax man. The starlet is fast becoming one of the best centre-backs in the league, and this salary may appear to be a bargain in years to come.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus, €31m)
Doesn’t it just make you feel a little bit queasy? Cristiano Ronaldo earns almost four and a half times more money than any other player on his team, or in the entirety of Serie A. Sure, he’s good for a goal most games, but is he worth that much money to a team that could probably win the league without him anyway? You could get 15 Andrea Belotti’s for that money.