We can’t believe this jaw-dropping XI of underpaid Premier League stars

Players from Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United are part of a Premier League XI who are relatively underpaid.

While the notion of any Premier League footballer being underpaid is slightly ridiculous, these things are all relative.

Using figures from Capology, we’ve put together a Premier League XI who can be considered underpaid, lining up in a 4-3-3 formation.

GK: Matz Sels (35k)

After 18 months of incompatible goalkeepers hampering their attempts at Premier League survival, Nottingham Forest’s signing of Sels in January 2024 was a game-changer.

The Belgium international took to English football like a duck to water and was a large part of Forest’s qualification for Europe in 2024-25.

Considering some of the sums spent at the City Ground in recent years, his wages do seem a tad low. Especially considering his importance to Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.

RB: Malo Gusto (45k)

Chelsea have spent almost £2billion on transfers since Todd Boehly and Clearlake took over in 2022, but the wage bill has dropped during that time.

The policy of signing young players, rather than established stars with salary demands to match, means Gusto is *only* earning £45k a week despite making 59 league appearances over two seasons.

Meanwhile, Raheem Sterling takes home £325k per week. Never change, Chelsea.

CB: Micky van de Ven (50k)

Van de Ven earns a sizeable wage compared to others in this XI, but Spurs reportedly paid Timo Werner £165,000 a week last season, so he can feel entitled to feel slightly aggrieved.

Good luck prising more money from Daniel Levy, mind.

CB: Marc Guehi (50k)

Guehi has entered the final year of his contract at Crystal Palace and is reportedly open to a move away from Selhurst Park, as Liverpool continue to be linked with his signature.

Wages of £50k might sound reasonable, until you remember Guehi is an England centre-back and Palace continue to pay Odsonne Edouard £90k a week.

LB: Lewis Hall (7k)

We are taking this with a massive pinch of salt as this would put him below John Ruddy.

But Hall is a future England starter and a wage of £7k-a-week for a player of his ability feels very 1995. Sort it out, Eddie.

CM: Carlos Balbea (12.5k)

Balbea is one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League, replacing Moises Caicedo at Brighton with minimum fuss, and has attracted attention from several richer clubs.

While it would take a huge fee to extract the Cameroon international from the AMEX, wages are unlikely to be a problem if Capology’s figures are correct.

A weekly sum of £12.5k seems on the low side for such an essential player

CM: Curtis Jones (15k)

A talented midfielder who has never let Liverpool down, Jones has done enough to earn far more than his reported £15k weekly wage.

There was a time when it looked like Jones may have to move away from Anfield, but he has become a leading player since 2023.

It was in the 2024-25 season that he looked at his best, playing 33 times as the Reds won the title and the Liverpool-born midfielder appears to be highly rated by Arne Slot.

CM: Kobbie Mainoo (25k)

While last season was a forgettable one for Mainoo and Manchester United, the young midfielder’s breakout campaign in 2023-24 is not to be forgotten.

Playing with a poise beyond his years, Mainoo was essential to United’s FA Cup triumph and forced his way into the England side for the knockout rounds of Euro 2024.

There have been noises that he’s unsuited to Ruben Amorim’s tactical doctrine and would surely earn far more elsewhere if he chose to leave United.

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RW: Dwight McNeil (25k)

McNeil’s output and his role in helping Everton avoid relegation in each of the last three years feel like they would all be worth far more than the £25,000 that he earns every week right now.

Only youth teamers and never-will-be’s are making less than the former Burnley man.

LW: Jeremy Doku (50k)

The Premier League’s top dribbler, Doku has impressed in fits and starts since joining Manchester City in 2023.

While it’s hard to argue that any City player is underpaid, the Belgium international’s wage does seem slightly on the low side and we imagine it is highly incentivised with performance bonuses.

ST: Rodrigo Muniz (7k)

If Capology is accurate, then Muniz’s weekly wage of £7k is genuinely jaw-dropping.

Plenty of higher-paid forwards have scored fewer than the forward’s 17 Premier League goals across two seasons. No wonder he’s open to leaving Fulham this summer.

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