While there have been plenty talks regarding the huge wads of cash spent by clubs in England, the Serie A in Italy hasn’t quite been the paupers in the competition. It may seem sensible since the biggest deals this summer were concluded by the Premier League clubs, but Serie A clubs, too, have had their share of expenditure on player wages.
Football is a lot more about money these days, and Italian football also has had its fair spoils regarding matters involving money, as we list down the ten highest-paid players in Serie A this season, courtesy of some brilliant insights from Gazzetta dello Sport.
1) Daniele De Rossi (€6.5m, AS Roma)
It is no coincidence a Roma player tops the charts for wages, as the capital outfit have been shelling out big sums in recent years ever since their American takeover. Daniele De Rossi leads the way as the highest wage earner in Italy, and the 32-year-old does every bit justice to his position at the club. De Rossi, who started as a box-to-box midfielder, plays as a sweeper these day for Roma, and with Andrea Pirlo no longer around in Serie A, Il Capitano Futuro is the linchpin for both club and country.
Fact: De Rossi’s salary accounts for 81 percent of what the entire team of newly-promoted Frosinone earn in wages (€8m).
2) Gonzalo Higuain (€5.5m, Napoli)
The Argentine hitman arrived in Naples in the summer of 2013 from Real Madrid, and the 27-year-old hasn’t done much wrong in his time at Napoli to not warrant such high wages by the standards in Italy. Higuan, who has so far scored at more than a goal per two games for the Partenopei, is one of the most valuable assets for Napoli and still has three more years to run in his contract.
3) Edin Dzeko (€4.5m, AS Roma)
Dzeko is on loan at Roma from English giants Manchester City and his high wages are reflective of him being still contracted to the Sky Blues. Roma acquired the Bosnian international on loan this summer with a view to a permanent deal next year, and the 29-year-old has proved to be worth every penny invested in him thus far in the current campaign. Dzeko has already scored one and assisted one during his short spell in Rome, even scoring in a potential title clash against Juventus.
4) Paul Pogba (€4.5m, Juventus)
It is a surprise Serie A most highly-rated player features at number four on this list, but this points to the fact why Juventus are one of the better-run clubs in the country. Pogba, who signed a new Bianconeri contract only last year, has been courted by many a top club, and is one of the poster boys for France for their home tournament that is the Euro 2016 next summer, and he earns better than most in Serie A, although not quite at the level of De Rossi or Higuain.
5) Gianluigi Buffon (€4m, Juventus)
The Italy and Juventus legend, as expected, is one of the highest earner in Serie A. The 37-year-old is the inspiration behind so many of Juventus’ victories, and has led them to six Scudetti during his time in Turin. Buffon is in the twilight of his career, and the fact a player so old as Buffon is the fifth highest earner in Serie A further strengthens his legend as one of the greats of Italian football.
6) Sami Khedira (€4m, Juventus)
Another Juventino on the list, and this time it is another new arrival to Italy in German World Cup winner Sami Khedira. The 28-year-old joined on a free transfer from Real Madrid this summer, but after a thigh injury sustained in pre-season, he is currently ruled out for at least two months which has delayed his Juventus bow. On paper, Khedira strengthens the Bianconeri midfield, although his high wages must be already concerning Juve following his early spell on the sidelines.
7) Geoffrey Kondogbia (€3.5m, Inter Milan)
The Frenchman is another new arrival in the Italian top flight, having moved during the summer to Inter Milan from Monaco. The 22-year-old cost €30m, and his high wages reflect his demand across Europe. One of the most sought-after defensive midfielders, Kondogbia is the highest earner in the Nerazzurri ranks, and is expected to be the leader for his new club in what is being termed as a renaissance period at Inter.
8) Carlos Bacca (€3.5m, AC Milan)
Like Kondogbia, Bacca carries a lot of expectations at his new club, AC Milan, having arrived from Sevilla over the summer. The Colombian is a ferocious competitor, and his early displays in the red and black of Milan have merited his wage at the club. Bacca, along with club captain Riccardo Montolivo, is the highest earning player for the Rossoneri, and earns even more than the alpha figure of Mario Balotelli.
9) Mario Mandzukic, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Claudio Marchisio (€3.5m, Juventus)
The Old Lady quartet make similar amounts of money, which isn’t too big a surprise given they have been instrumental in Juventus’ recent glory days (Mandzukic apart). While Mandzukic is a new arrival from Atletico Madrid and is one of Europe’s prominent marksmen, the other three have been virtually ever present in Juve’s four consecutive league triumphs since the turn of the decade.
10) Mohamed Salah (€3.5m, AS Roma)
The 23-year-old Egyptian is on loan from Chelsea and is Roma’s third highest earner behind De Rossi and Dzeko. Salah is a special talent, and his ability and technique on the ball has left Serie A fans gasping in disbelief ever since he kicked a ball in those parts for Fiorentina last season. A lot of Roma’s hopes for this season lies on Salah’s not-so-broad shoulders, and should he deliver the goods, the investment on him will turn out to be shrewder than ever.
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