World Football: The 25 Most Overpaid Footballers in Europe
Want to find out who shouldn't be getting paid as much as they are? Well you've stopped at the right place.
Why exactly are the players on this list overpaid? There are a lot of variables to consider. Current form, past form, age, skill level as well as the team and competition are all criteria. Some may have a larger effect than others dependent on the player.
To do this I will be using this list from futebolfinance.com which came out earlier this year. If any of the players in this list changed teams or had contracts renewed it will be shown on their slide.
I decided to choose this list as it highlights the most highly paid players in the business. If there are any you feel are missing then feel free to add in your comments.
Click through to find out the most overpaid players in European football!
25. Ji-Sung Park
1 of 25Monthly Salary: 316,000 €
Yearly Salary: 3,200,000 €
Is that really worth it for a rotational player who can impact games from time to time? I think not.
If you think of the other players that Park kept off this list—like an Eric Abidal or Luka Modric—you would realize he is overpaid.
Figures by Futebolfinance.com
24. James Milner
2 of 25Monthly Salary: 316,000 €
Yearly Salary: 3,200,000 €
I think Milner, like Park and others on this list, is able to get so much money because of the team he plays on.
Milner does start more games and gives his all to his team, but at the end of the day he does not match up talent-wise with some of his club-mates.
Figures by Futebolfinance.com
23. Andre Pierre-Gignac
3 of 25Monthly Salary: 316,000 €
Yearly Salary: 3,200,000 €
So far this season Gignac has played 13 games and scored one goal in all competitions and even last season's totals were not that great. In that time, Gignac played in 38 games and had 12 goals and seven assists.
That does not seem to be worth the sort of salary he is getting.
Figures by Futebolfinance.com
22. Robinho
4 of 25Monthly Salary: 300,000 €
Yearly Salary: 4,000,000 €
Robinho has won a few things since his time in Europe, but he has never been the man. He is a talented player and his European entrance—through the Real Madrid wormhole— is what set him up for such financial gain.
Robinho has been able to live on his reputation from the past and thus he is able to get paid as much as he does.
Figures by Futebolfinance.com
21. Amauri
5 of 25Monthly Salary: 350,000 €
Yearly Salary: 4,200,000 €
Amauri has played zero games this year and was sent on loan to Parma, and between them and Juventus, he played 27 games and had 10 goals and two assists.
If he gets anywhere near that contract with his new team it would be laughable.
Figures by Futebolfinance.com
20. Lucho Gonzalez
6 of 25Monthly Salary: 358,000 €
Yearly Salary: 4,300,000 €
Lucho Gonzalez has played a decent amount of games so far this season but he is clearly not the same player he was.
Even though his statistical output was okay last season—10 goals and six assists in 48 games—that is still a lot of euros for someone who does not control every game as Gonzalez was expected to do when Marseille bought him.
Figures by Futebolfinance.com
19. Mathieu Flamini
7 of 25Monthly Salary: 375,000 €
Yearly Salary: 4,500,000 €
Mathieu Flamini's injury may be the only reason he has not played any games this year but it still does not excuse his salary.
Flamini gets quite a lot of money for being one of the more average players in the squad. He is in no way a key player or a game-changer for Milan.
He may be one of the younger legs Milan needs—and a player who gets decent playing time—but in reality his salary is too high.
Figures by Futebolfinance.com
18. Diego Milito
8 of 25Monthly Salary: 375,000 €
Yearly Salary: 4,500,000 €
Diego Milito's last two years have not been worth the coin. In the league alone he has played 35 games with nine goals and eight assists to his name—over two years.
That's a tad bit overpaid.
Figures by Futebolfinance.com
17. Diego Forlan
9 of 25According to Tribalfootball.com, these are the details of Diego Forlan's contract with Inter. Forlan is injured this year so that has to be taken into account a little, but he is still overpaid.
He was not effective last year and is obviously not effective right now.
Figures by Futebolfinance.com
16. Yoann Gourcouff
10 of 25Monthly Salary: 400,000 €
Yearly Salary: 4,800,000 €
Yoan Gourcuff has not been the same player that impressed in his first season at Bordeaux. This season he has played 12 games in all competitions and contributed one goal and one assist.
He was an above-average player at one point in his career but his salary is a little generous now.
Figures by Futebolfinance.com
15. Andrey Arshavin
11 of 25Monthly Salary: 400,000 €
Yearly Salary: 4,800,000 €
Arshavin had some decent statistics in 2009-10 and 2010-11 but overall he has never fully lived up to the expectations of many since his Euro 2008 performances.
This year has seen Arshavin become an increasingly frustrating player for Arsenal fans to watch and at that salary, he is certainly overpaid.
Figures by Futebolfinance.com
14. Andy Carroll
12 of 25Monthly Salary: 416,000 €
Yearly Salary: 5,000,000 €
Andy Carroll's price tag was a hefty one for sure and his salary was not to be outdone. In 28 games for Liverpool, Carroll has five goals and four assists to his name.
I don't think anything else needs to be said.
Figures by Futebolfinance.com
13. Wayne Bridge
13 of 25Monthly Salary: 416,000 €
Yearly Salary: 5,000,000 €
Wayne Bridge has played one game so far this season and spent a good amount of last season on loan. It would be fair to say he is being well overpaid by his parent club, Manchester City.
Figures by Futebolfinance.com
12. Luca Toni
14 of 25Monthly Salary: 416,000 €
Yearly Salary: 5,000,000 €
Luca Toni has not played a single game for Juventus this season and he was not too impressive last season, with nine goals and six assists in 33 games. I am sure he doesn't mind his salary, though.
Figures by Futebolfinance.com
11. Sami Khedira
15 of 25Monthly Salary: 416,000 €
Yearly Salary: 5,000,000 €
Sami Khedira plays a good amount of games for Real Madrid, there is no denying that. You get the feeling he is only paid that much because of who he plays for and not how good he is. In that sense, he is overpaid.
Figures by Futebolfinance.com
10. Aleksander Kolarov
16 of 25Monthly Salary: 458,000 €
Yearly Salary: 5,500,000 €
What has Alexander Kolarov really done to deserve this? He is a good player for Manchester City but this is a lot of cash. You would think players would have some history of achievements and so forth to gain this type of money.
Kolarov certainly doesn't have many trophies to his name.
Figures by Futebolfinance.com
09. Gareth Barry
17 of 25Monthly Salary: 458,000 €
Yearly Salary: 5,500,000 €
Gareth Barry is another case of a player who is getting paid mostly because of who he plays for and not really himself.
If you want something to compare it to, his salary is equal to the likes of Bastian Schweinstieger and better than the likes of Carles Puyol and Mesut Ozil.
Figures by Futebolfinance.com
08. Kevin Kuranyi
18 of 25Monthly Salary: 458,000 €
Yearly Salary: 5,500,000 €
If Gareth Barry is overpaid, then Kevin Kuranyi is most certainly in the same category.
Kuranyi may have scored 10 goals and added 12 assists in all competitions for his club this year but you would expect a lot more for that type of money.
Figures by Futebolfinance.com
07. Mario Balotelli
19 of 25Monthly Salary: 541,000 €
Yearly Salary: 6,500,000 €
Balotelli is very talented player. I can understand, to an extent, when actual transfer bids are high if youth and potential are the mix. Salary is a different thing. It should be harder to earn.
Balotelli's wages are among the highest in the world and higher than a lot more established players who have not gotten past their prime yet. Thank you, Manchester City.
Figures by Futebolfinance.com
06. Rio Ferdinand
20 of 25Monthly Salary: 458,000 €
Yearly Salary: 5,500,000 €
Rio Ferdinand is no longer the same player he was, and while he may be a first choice defender when fit, it may not remain that way for long. At this point in his career, Ferdinand is overpaid because his salary is based mostly on the history rather than the present.
Figures by Futebolfinance.com
05. Steven Gerrard
21 of 25Monthly Salary: 625,000 €
Yearly Salary: 7,500,000 €
There are lot of reasons Steven Gerrard gets paid what he does but on current form alone he is overpaid.
Until the Gerrard of old returns this salary is generous. He has not played many games lately and has not had much of the same impact he used to.
Figures by Futebolfinance.com
04. Carlos Tevez
22 of 25Monthly Salary: 666,000 €
Yearly Salary: 8,000,000 €
Carlos Tevez has sat on his behind for a good four months and been more of a hindrance to his employer than anything. He has been well paid during that time but undeservedly so.
Figures by Futebolfinance.com
03. Emmanuel Adebayor
23 of 25Monthly Salary: 708,000 €
Yearly Salary: 8,500,000 €
Emmanuel Adebayor has honestly done nothing significant enough to allow him to earn such high wages. He has scored his share of goals and assists, but he really is not one of the 10 best players in the game.
According to this list he is among the Top 10 of highest paid footballers. That is pretty interesting.
Figures by Futebolfinance.com
02. Kaka
24 of 25Monthly Salary: 833,000 €
Yearly Salary: 9,000,000 €
You could have argued pretty easily that in his best days at Milan, Kaka would not have been overpaid with this salary.
There have been little glimpses here and there of the old Kaka during his time in Madrid, but right now Kaka is overpaid.
Figures by Futebolfinance.com
01. Fernando Torres
25 of 25Monthly Salary: 833,000 €
Yearly Salary: 10,000,000 €
Fernando Torres is third on the futebolfinance.com list but he is easily in first place right here. Torres has not been himself since his time at Chelsea and has not lived up to his transfer fee nor his salary.
Figures by Futebolfinance.com
