The 29 Premier League players paid more than Bukayo Saka amid Arsenal contract talks

Arsenal are in talks with Bukayo Saka over a new long-term contract that could make him one of the highest-paid players in the Premier League.

The England international has developed into one of the world’s best attackers and is currently earning £195,000-per-week at the Emirates.

We’ve taken a look at the 29 players in the Premier League who are earning over £195,000-per-week and also judged if they deserve to be getting more than Saka.

Note: All figures mentioned are before tax and do not include the array of bonuses that are included in the fine print of every contract.

29= Hugo Ekitike

• Club: Liverpool
• Wages: £200,000-per-week

Liverpool forked out an initial £69million to sign Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer and also gave the striker a £200,000-per-week contract.

VERDICT: Somewhat undeserved

29= Viktor Gyokeres

• Club: Arsenal
• Wages: £200,000-per-week

One of six Arsenal players paid more than Saka, Gyokeres joined the Gunners in the summer and put pen to paper on a five-year contract worth £200,000-per-week.

VERDICT: Somewhat undeserved

29= Josko Gvardiol

• Club: Manchester City
• Wages: £200,000-per-week

Since arriving at Manchester City in 2023, Gvardiol has been earning £200,000-per-week but recent reports suggest they could now give the centre-back a pay rise.

VERDICT: Somewhat undeserved

29= Florian Wirtz

• Club: Liverpool
• Wages: £200,000-per-week

Wirtz has had a difficult start to his Liverpool career following his summer move from Bayer Leverkusen but will be hoping to eventually justify the £115million transfer fee and £200,000-per-week wages.

VERDICT: Somewhat undeserved

29= Wesley Fofana 

• Club: Chelsea
• Wages: £200,000-per-week

Injuries have plagued Fofana since his £75million move to Chelsea in 2022, but the centre-back is still earning £200,000-per-week at Stamford Bridge.

VERDICT: Definitely undeserved

24: Rodri

• Club: Manchester City
• Wages: £220,000-per-week

The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, Rodri is currently earning £220,000-per-week but Manchester City reportedly intend to offer him a new and improved contract to make him the second-highest-paid player at the club.

VERDICT: Definitely deserved

23: Phil Foden

• Club: Manchester City
• Wages: £225,000-per-week

Alongside Gvardiol and Rodri, Foden is also set for a new contract at Manchester City as his current £225,000-per-week deal is due to expire in 2027.

VERDICT: Somewhat undeserved

22: Tijjani Reijnders

• Club: Manchester City
• Wages: £230,000-per-week

Reijnders arrived at Manchester City in the summer after an impressive season at AC Milan and signed a five-year contract worth £230,000-per-week.

VERDICT: Definitely undeserved

21= Declan Rice 

• Club: Arsenal
• Wages: £240,000-per-week

Arsenal paid a club-record £105million to sign Rice from West Ham United in 2022 and also agreed to give the midfielder a six-year deal worth £240,000-per-week.

VERDICT: Somewhat deserved

21= Martin Odegaard

• Club: Arsenal
• Wages: £240,000-per-week

The Arsenal captain, Odegaard put pen to paper on a five-year contract extension in 2023 and his wages went from £115,000-per-week to £240,000-per-week.

VERDICT: Somewhat deserved

19= Jadon Sancho

• Club: Aston Villa (on loan from Manchester United)
• Wages: £250,000-per-week

Aston Villa signed Sancho from Manchester United on a season-long loan deal and agreed to cover 80% of his £250,000-per-week wages, while United are still paying him £50,000-per-week.

According to reports, United are considering letting the 25-year-old leave Old Trafford on a free next summer rather than triggering the one-year extension in his contract.

VERDICT: Definitely undeserved

19= Cody Gakpo

• Club: Liverpool
• Wages: £250,000-per-week

Having helped Liverpool win the Premier League last season, Gakpo was rewarded with a new contract that more than doubled his wages and took him up to £250,000-per-week.

VERDICT: Somewhat undeserved

19= Gianluigi Donnarumma

• Club: Manchester City
• Wages: £250,000-per-week

Donnarumma swapped Paris Saint-Germain for Manchester City in the summer and his £250,000-per-week contract at the Etihad makes him the highest-paid goalkeeper in the Premier League.

VERDICT: Somewhat deserved

19= William Saliba 

• Club: Arsenal
• Wages: £250,000-per-week

Despite being linked with a move to Real Madrid, Saliba recently signed a new five-year contract with Arsenal and his wages went from £190,000-per-week to £250,000-per-week.

VERDICT: Somewhat deserved

19= John Stones

• Club: Manchester City
• Wages: £250,000-per-week

Stones has had a key role in Manchester City’s success under Pep Guardiola but could leave the club when his £250,000-per-week contract expires at the end of the season.

VERDICT: Somewhat deserved

19= Ruben Dias

• Club: Manchester City
  Wages: £250,000-per-week

Dias plays alongside Stones at Manchester City and now has the same salary as his centre-back partner after signing a new four-year contract at the Etihad.

VERDICT: Somewhat deserved

19= Reece James

• Club: Chelsea
  Wages: £250,000-per-week

James is widely regarded as one of the best right-backs in Europe but his injury issues in recent years have made it difficult to justify his £250,000-per-week wages.

VERDICT: Somewhat undeserved

12: Gabriel Jesus

• Club: Arsenal
• Wages: £265,000-per-week

Jesus signed a five-year contract worth £265,000-per-week after joining Arsenal in 2022 but has fallen down the pecking order following an injury-strewn couple of years in north London.

TEAMtalk’s transfer insider, Dean Jones, reported on October 3 that Arsenal are willing to sell the Brazil international in the January transfer window and want £30million.

VERDICT: Definitely undeserved

11= Alexander Isak

• Club: Liverpool
• Wages: £280,000-per-week

After paying a British transfer record fee to sign Isak from Newcastle United in the summer, Liverpool also gave the Sweden international a six-year contract worth £280,000-per-week.

VERDICT: Somewhat deserved

11=  Kai Havertz

• Club: Arsenal
• Wages: £280,000-per-week

Havertz has a £280,000-per-week deal and is currently the highest-paid player at Arsenal but may be usurped once the Gunners finalise the terms of Saka’s new contract.

VERDICT: Definitely undeserved

9: Omar Marmoush

• Club: Manchester City
• Wages: £295,000-per-week

Marmoush joined Manchester City in the January transfer window and is now earning £295,000-per-week – a huge increase from his £34,000-per-week salary at Eintracht Frankfurt.

VERDICT: Definitely undeserved

8= Bernardo Silva

• Club: Manchester City
• Wages: £300,000-per-week

Silva replaced Kevin De Bruyne as the club captain at Manchester City in the summer but has now entered the final year of his £300,000-per-week contract at the Etihad.

VERDICT: Somewhat deserved

8= Jack Grealish

• Club: Everton (on loan from Manchester City)
• Wages: £300,000-per-week

Grealish is spending the 2025/26 season on loan at Everton and they are paying him £225,000-per-week, while parent club Manchester City are covering the remaining £75,000.

VERDICT: Definitely undeserved

8= Bruno Fernandes 

• Club: Manchester United
• Wages: £300,000-per-week

Fernandes is on a £300,000-per-week contract at Manchester United but would’ve been earning an additional £400,000-per-week if he had accepted an offer from Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal.

VERDICT: Somewhat deserved

5: Raheem Sterling

• Club: Chelsea
• Wages: £325,000-per-week

Sterling has been frozen out of the first-team picture at Chelsea but is still the highest-paid player at Stamford Bridge with a weekly salary of £325,000.

VERDICT: Definitely undeserved

4= Casemiro 

• Club: Manchester United
• Wages: £350,000-per-week

Casemiro signed a four-year deal worth £350,000-per-week after joining Manchester United in 2022 and that contract is due to expire at the end of the season.

TEAMtalk understands that a contract extension could be possible – but only if the Brazil international is willing to accept a substantial wage reduction.

VERDICT: Somewhat deserved

4= Virgil van Dijk 

• Club: Liverpool
• Wages: £350,000-per-week

Van Dijk had the option to leave Liverpool on a free transfer at the end of the 2024/25 season but ultimately decided to sign a two-year contract extension.

He got a £130,000-per-week pay rise to take his salary to £350,000-per-week and is now the highest-paid centre-back in the Premier League.

VERDICT: Definitely deserved

2: Mohamed Salah

• Club: Liverpool
• Wages: £400,000-per-week

Alongside Van Dijk, Salah also signed a new two-year contract at Liverpool to replace the one that was due to expire at the end of the 2024/25 season.

It is the most lucrative contract in the club’s history, with the 33-year-old Egypt international now pocketing £400,000-per-week at Anfield.

VERDICT: Definitely deserved

1: Erling Haaland – £525,000-per-week

• Club: Manchester City
• Wages: £525,000-per-week

Haaland committed his future to Manchester City by penning an extraordinary nine-and-a-half-year contract earlier this year, which keeps him at the Etihad Stadium until the summer of 2034.

The contract is worth £525,000-per-week, making the Norway international the highest-paid player in the Premier League and the sixth-highest paid player in the world.

VERDICT: Definitely deserved

READ MORE: The key contract details of every Arsenal first-team player: Expiry dates, weekly wages, agents…