REVEALED: The highest paid player from EVERY Premier League season shows wages skyrocketing from John Barnes’ £10,000-a-week in 1992… with Man United and Man City stars dominating the list

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The highest-paid player from every Premier League season since its inception in 1992 has been revealed – showing the jaw-dropping rise in player salaries. 

The English top-flight has quickly become a popular location for a staggering injection of money and glamour into domestic football. 

Fuelled by a bumper broadcasting deal with Sky, cash flowed into the game and player wages became an increasingly lucrative way to hold on to clubs’ brightest talents. 

Over 30 years later, the Premier League’s latest broadcasting deal, which will run from 2025 to 2029, is worth a whopping £6.7 billion – and salaries have inflated to match. 

2023-24’s highest earner is Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, whose mammoth salary comes in at an astonishing £865,000-a-week when bonuses are accounted for. 

Erling Haaland is the highest-earner in the Premier League for the second season in a row

But his salary dwarfs that earnt by the competition’s first chart-topper, John Barnes (left) 

The highest-earning footballer internationally is Cristiano Ronaldo, currently at Al-Nassr

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The Norwegian scoring sensation easily dominated the previous year too – following on from when Cristiano Ronaldo’s £480,000-a-week at United topped the standings. The Portuguese superstar, now at Al-Nassr, is the highest earner in the world on contract worth a reported £172m.

The eye-watering wages show how salaries in the Premier League have skyrocketed since its inception in 1992, when John Barnes was the top earner on a modest £10,000 a week. 

The Liverpool icon was richly rewarded for his contributions in the first season of the Premier League, and its second, with his salary – working out at £520,000 per year – the highest in the division. 

But he was knocked off the top spot by Manchester United’s star forward Eric Cantona for the 1994-95 season, who nearly doubled his total with his £18,000-a-week salary. 

Cantona’s table-topping wages would set a precedent for the red side of Manchester, whose players took home the highest salaries 12 seasons out of 32. 

Their crosstown rivals Manchester City trail them as the club with the second-deepest pockets for player wages, with their players topping the charts in seven seasons. 

Carlos Tevez was tempted across town by the lure of impressive wages at Manchester City 

Tevez would later be unseated by Wayne Rooney in his later years at Manchester United

Announcing their purchase of the club with a bang in 2008, the Abu Dhabi United Group tempted Robinho away from Real Madrid in a British record £32.5m move, they proceeded to make him the league’s highest earner with a blockbuster salary of £160,000 a week during the 2008-09 season. 

His high wage would be superceded the following season by another of City’s eye-catching early takeover signings, Carlos Tevez, whose £250,000-a-week wages quickly dwarfed the Brazilian transplant’s.  

Tevez’s paycheck would hold onto the top spot for four consecutive seasons, the second time that a player’s salary had done so, after Roy Keane. 

The Man United midfielder was given a hefty payrise after winning the Treble under Sir Alex Ferguson in 1998-99, and was paid £52,000 per week the following season. 

His salary then increased to £90,000 a week for 2001-02, and was boosted to £94,000 a week a season later. 

David de Gea was the top earner in 2019-20, before Gareth Bale – on loan at Spurs from Real Madrid – dwarfed him the following year with his £520,000-a-week salary 

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Haaland is now head and shoulders above his rivals in terms of pay due to his staggering performance -related bonuses

Wayne Rooney held similar sway between the 2013-14 and 2016-17 seasons with his £300,000-a-week wage, only to be knocked off the top spot by future Red Devil Alexis Sanchez. 

David De Gea – another Man United star – then became the top earner on £375,000-a-week, before he was dwarfed by the return to the league of Gareth Bale, who came back to Spurs on loan from Real Madrid. A large chunk of his wages were paid by the Spanish giants, but he was technically on £560,000-a-week. 

Kevin De Bruyne should have been the top earner for the next two seasons judging on his base salary, but his team-mate Haaland’s lucrative bonuses took him leaps and bounds above him. 

The Norway international’s coffers are boosted by a raft of impressive add-ons and bonuses that last season were all but guaranteed due to his blistering form. 

Highest-paid Premier League stars since 1992: the list in full

1992-93: John Barnes – £10,000-a-week

1993-94: John Barnes – £10,000-a-week

1994-95: Eric Cantona – £18,000-a-week

1995-96: Dennis Bergkamp – £25,000-a-week

1996-97: Fabrizio Ravanelli – £42,000-a-week

1997-98: Alan Shearer – £34,000-a-week

1998-99: Alan Shearer – £34,000-a-week

1999-00: Roy Keane – £52,000-a-week

2000-01: Roy Keane – £52,000-a-week

2001-02: Roy Keane – £90,000-a-week

2002-03: Roy Keane – £94,000-a-week

2003-04: Hernan Crespo – £94,000-a-week

2004-05: Frank Lampard – £98,000-a-week

2005-06: Steven Gerrard – £100,000-a-week

2006-07: Andriy Shevchenko – £118,000-a-week

2007-08: John Terry – £135,000-a-week

2008-09: Robinho – £160,000-a-week

2009-10: Carlos Tevez – £250,000-a-week

2010-11: Carlos Tevez – £250,000-a-week

2011-12: Carlos Tevez – £250,000-a-week

2012-13: Carlos Tevez – £250,000-a-week

2013-14: Wayne Rooney – £300,000-a-week

2014-15: Wayne Rooney – £300,000-a-week

2015-16: Wayne Rooney – £300,000-a-week

2016-17: Wayne Rooney – £300,000-a-week

2017-18: Alexis Sanchez – £350,000-a-week

2018-19: Alexis Sanchez – £350,000-a-week

2019-20: David de Gea – £375,000-a-week

2020-21: Gareth Bale – £560,000-a-week (majority paid by Real Madrid)

2021-22: Cristiano Ronaldo – £480,000-a-week

2022-23: Erling Haaland – £865,000-a-week

2023-24: Erling Haaland – £865,000-a-week

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