Editor-In-Chief with 20 years experience covering the betting angles to breaking news stories. Daily slots player, Portsmouth fan and League Snooker Player
The Premier League is known for its huge player salaries, with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne earning £400,000 per week, and Erling Haaland hitting £20 million yearly. And, with current inflation rates and ongoing spikes in transfer fees, as well as agent demands, are these salaries set to rise even further in the coming years? Well, we decided to find out!
We have analysed salary data to predict how much clubs are set to spend on wages in the next 5-10 years.
Using Spotrac and Capology, we collected data relating to team payrolls from 2014-2024. From this, we were then able to forecast our predictions for how much clubs are set to spend over the next decade. We’ve also been able to showcase the impact of the salaries of star players and rank the teams with the biggest salary growths overall.
So, without further ado, let’s dive into our predictions and see which teams made it into our ranking!
EPL salary predictions: the biggest spenders
| Rank | Club | 2014 | 10 Year Change | 2024* | 10 Year Predicted Change | 2034 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea | £104,7 M | 60% | £167,3 M | 112% | £355,1 M |
| 2 | Manchester United | £143,1 M | 15% | £164,1 M | 81% | £297,7 M |
| 3 | Manchester City | £122,8 M | 62% | £198,6 M | 47% | £291,4 M |
| 4 | Arsenal | £94,7 M | 93% | £182,4 M | 33% | £243,2 M |
| 5 | Liverpool | £81,8 M | 51% | £123,5 M | 78% | £219,5 M |
| 6 | Tottenham Hotspur | £67,7 M | 61% | £109,2 M | 98% | £216,1 M |
| 7 | Aston Villa | £33,2M | 198% | £98,8 M | 101% | £198,9 M |
| 8 | Newcastle United | £32,2 M | 193% | £94,6 M | 69% | £160,1 M |
| 9 | West Ham United | £45,5 M | 95% | £88,7 M | 65% | £146,4 M |
| 10 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | £11,9 M | 337% | £52,1 M | 149% | £129,7 M |
| 11 | Fulham | £16,5 M | 243% | £56,6 M | 121% | £125,1 M |
| 12 | Everton | £50,5 M | 31% | £66,2 M | 87% | £123,9 M |
| 13 | Nottingham Forest | £19,3 M | 249% | £67,3 M | 83% | £123,2 M |
| 14 | Brighton & Hove Albion | £18,1 M | 161% | £47,1 M | 128% | £107,7 M |
| 15 | Leicester City | £33,2 M | 72% | £56,9 M | 76% | £100,1 M |
| 16 | AFC Bournemouth | £10,4 M | 452% | £57,4 M | 74% | £99,9 M |
| 17 | Crystal Palace | £31,7 M | 95% | £61,9 M | 59% | £98,4 M |
| 18 | Brentford | £5,3 M | 544% | £33,9 M | 109% | £70,9 M |
| 19 | Southampton | £42,5 M | -21% | £33,7 M | 44% | £48,4 M |
| 20 | Ipswich Town | £8,8 M | 80% | £15,8 M | 7% | £16,9 M |
First things first, which Premier League teams are the biggest spenders when it comes to player salaries? Let’s take a look at the top five!
1. Chelsea
Up first we have Chelsea, a club which spent £104.7 million on player salaries in 2014 alone. Over the past ten years, we’ve seen player wages increase by 60%, and in 2024, this figure stands nearer £167.3 million.
Taking these figures into account, along with factors such as inflation rates and spiking transfer fees, we’re forecasting an increase of 112%, meaning by 2034, we could see a yearly spend of £335.1 million.
2. Manchester United
Next up we have Manchester United, another team with similarly impressive figures. Ten years ago, the club spent £143.1 million on players’ pay packets annually, but this figure now stands at £164.1 million (showing a steady increase of 15%).
We’re predicting an 81% increase over the next ten years, so in 2034, we may well see a figure nearing £297.7 million.
3. Manchester City
Manchester City steals the third spot on our list, and we’re predicting a payroll increase of 41% over the next decade!
In 2014, the club spent £122.8 million on player salaries, and this was up 62% by 2024, now standing at £198.6 million. In ten years’ time, we’re predicting that Manchester City will spend a whopping £291.4 million.
4. Arsenal
Next up we have Arsenal, a team which spent £94.7 million on player salaries in 2014, with this rising to £182.4 million in 2024 (indicating a 93% increase).
We’re forecasting a 33% increase in the next ten years, with 2034 spending set to stand at £243.2 million.
5. Liverpool
The final team in our top five is Liverpool, who paid out £123.5 million in player salaries in 2024. This figure is up 51% from 2014, and over the next decade, we’re estimating a 78% increase.
So, if our forecast is accurate, the club will spend £219.5 million on player salaries in 2034…
Which teams complete our ranking?
Plenty of other Premier League teams secured a place in our ranking, with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, and Newcastle United stealing 6th, 7th, and 8th place.
Tottenham Hotspur spent £109.2 million on player salaries this year, and this is set to increase by 98%, jumping up to £219.5 million by 2034!
Aston Villa are set to experience similar growth salary-wise, with an estimated ten-year increase of 101%. Finally, Newcastle United spent £94.6 million on salaries in 2024, and in 2034, we may well see this near £160.1 million.
In the penultimate and final spot, we have West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers. West Ham United have seen a 95% increase over the past ten years, with spending jumping from £45.5 million to £88.7 million.
Finally, Wolves saw a whopping 337% increase, and this is set to surge again by 149% by the time 2034 rolls around.
Next, it’s time to take a quick look at how the pay packets of star players have impacted teams’ payrolls over the past five years.
From 2019 to 2024, Manchester United spent a grand total of £346.1 million on their highest earners, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo earning £26.8 million in 2021 alone.
Manchester City come in a close second, spending £344.5 million, and this isn’t surprising with players such as Kevin De Bruyne earning over £20 million yearly.
Next up, we have Chelsea, who’ve spent £156.5 million, and Arsenal with £66.1 million. One of Arsenal’s highest paid players was Willian da Silva, who earned £19.6 million in 2020 alone.
Finally, we have Liverpool, who’ve spent £54.6 million on their highest-earning players over the past five years. One of their highest earners being Mohamed Salah, who earned a whopping £18.2 million in 2019.
Salary growth over the last decade
Up first we have Brentford, a team who were promoted to the Premier League after victory in the 2021 season. In 2015, their average salary spending stood at £5.3 million, yet by 2024, this had shot up an impressive 544% to £33.9 million.
AFC Bournemouth are next on our list, a team who’ve seen a 452% 10-year increase in their spending, jumping from £10.4 million in 2014 to £57.4 million this year.
In 2014, Wolverhampton Wanderers were spending around £19.3 million on player salaries, yet over the past ten years we’ve seen a 249% increase, with numbers now hitting £67.3 million!
Nottingham Forest are next on our list, with numbers shooting up from £19.3 million to £67.3 million. And finally, rounding out our top five, we have Fulham, who’ve experienced an impressive 243% increase!
Predicted growth over the next decade
So, based on this historical data, let’s look ahead and see which EPL clubs are set to have the biggest salary growths by 2034…
Wolverhampton Wanderers come in first, with a predicted 149% increase. We’re expecting numbers to more than double, with the current £52.1 million shooting up to £129.8 million!
Brighton and Hove Albion follow closely behind with a predicted growth of 128%. Their current spend of £47.1 million is set to jump to £107.7 million. Next, we have Fulham, a team whose spending is predicted to soar from £56.6 million to £125.1 million!
In the penultimate spot we have Chelsea, a club with an already sizable spend which is set to rise even further (£167.3 million to £355.1 million).
And our final club is Brentford, who are set to see a 109% increase in salary spending, with their current spend of £33.9 million rising to £70.9 million!
So, there we have it: our English Premier League salary predictions for the next decade!
There are plenty of impressive figures in the mix, and what’s clear is that if current trends continue, we’re set to see even bulkier pay packets over the coming years…
Feeling inspired by our predictions? Well then, why not head over to our recommended betting sites?
Sources:
Capology: https://www.capology.com/club/bournemouth/salaries/2014-2015/
Spotrac: https://www.spotrac.com/epl/payroll/_/year/2017/sort/cap_total
Data relating to total team payroll and player salaries of English Premier League teams was collected for the years 2014 to 2024 using Spotrac and Capology.
The total payroll was then forecast for the next 10 years. The ranking is based on the current 20 teams competing in the 2024-2025 season of the English Premier League. The amounts are not adjusted for inflation.
Further Reading
