An incredible Premier League XI earning less in wages

Arsenal are going to have to push the boat out if they’re to stand a chance of signing Vinicius Junior, who is one of the best-paid players in the world at Real Madrid.

Taking home the equivalent of around £410,000 per week, Vinicius would become Arsenal’s best-paid player if they were able to match his Real Madrid salary.

But you don’t always have to pay the big bucks to get good quality. We’ve put together an entire Premier League XI whose combined weekly salaries are lower than Vini Jr’s.

All figures are estimates taken from Capology.

GK: Bart Verbruggen (£35,000 per week)

Now with three seasons of regular Premier League action under his belt with Brighton, Verbruggen has also established himself as the Netherlands’ main goalkeeper.

Still only 23, we can imagine him making the step up to a bigger club – and in turn, earning a bigger salary – at some point in the near future.

His contract with Brighton runs until 2028, and you’d imagine he’d be in line for a pay rise if they tried to keep him.

RB: Djed Spence (£40,000 per week)

Spence showcased his utility at the World Cup and now has a point to prove at club level with Tottenham Hotspur – or anyone who buys him from them.

If the versatile full-back is to be on the move this summer, he might pocket a better salary than his current £40,000-a-week terms, signed when he was making the step up from the Championship.

CB: Ezri Konsa (£75,000 per week)

A player that Arsenal have shown some interest in, Konsa has established himself at Premier League standard with Aston Villa.

The highest-paid player we’ve managed to fit into this XI, but still on less than £100,000 per week, Konsa earned a pay rise when he renewed his Villa contract in September 2023.

Proof of the value that can be found by buying players from the Championship, Konsa has now played in more than 200 top-flight games for Villa.

CB: James Hill (£25,000 per week)

Hill enjoyed a bit of a breakthrough with Bournemouth last season, becoming a regular starter at the back by the end of it.

In fact, the 24-year-old didn’t miss a minute in the Premier League since the turn of the calendar year, as his side enjoyed their best ever run of form in the top flight and reached the European places.

As a player Bournemouth signed from League One when they were in the Championship, Hill remains on a relatively modest salary, even after it increased fivefold after his contract renewal in September.

LB: Nico O’Reilly (£30,000 per week)

What a season O’Reilly had for Manchester City in 2025-26, establishing himself in the first team at left-back and getting into the England squad for the World Cup.

The 21-year-old earned a long-term contract renewal in September but is still only on £30,000 per week.

CM: Adam Wharton (£35,000 per week)

We still can’t quite believe Wharton hasn’t been picked up by one of the big boys yet this summer.

No disrespect to Crystal Palace, who have established themselves as a trophy-winning outfit in Wharton’s time there.

But he’s the kind of player regularly linked with a step up in his career, which would likely come with a hike in his salary. He isn’t even among Palace’s top 10 highest-paid players.

CM: Alex Scott (£40,000 per week)

Scott is another midfielder who has the top clubs keeping tabs on him.

The Bournemouth star has been playing in the Premier League for three years now, all on the £40,000-a-week contract he signed when stepping up from Bristol City.

CM: Carlos Baleba (£12,500 per week)

Yes, Baleba seemed to fall off a bit last season after being heavily linked with Manchester United a year ago.

But even taking his dip in form into account, his salary of just £12,500 a week at Brighton looks tiny for a player of his valuation.

For perspective – and we know they play in different positions, are different ages and at different clubs – Baleba earns just over 3% of what Vinicius does each week.

RW: Iliman Ndiaye (£45,000 per week)

Ndiaye has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia this summer, so stands a chance of seeing his earnings absolutely skyrocket.

There are eight Everton players who earn more than the Senegal international, but he is one of their most influential players for goals and assists.

CF: Eli Junior Kroupi (£20,000 per week)

Kroupi was one of the Premier League’s biggest revelations last season at Bournemouth. It’s a crying shame he’ll miss the start of this season through injury.

After his convenient move from Bill Foley-owned Lorient, Kroupi scored 13 goals in his debut Premier League season.

If it wasn’t for his injury, clubs could have been circling for him in the final weeks of this transfer window, but any big move will have to wait.

LW: Jeremy Doku (£50,000 per week)

Featuring ahead of his City teammate O’Reilly on our hypothetical left flank, Doku arrived in the Premier League in 2023.

He has only scored 11 goals in the league from 88 games since, but has caused some opposing full-backs some headaches with his dribbling ability.

Team total earnings: £407,500 per week

Vinicius Junior earnings: £410,393 per week

READ MORE: Eight players Arsenal could sell to fund Vinicius Junior transfer

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