Man Utd, Spurs & Villa shocking in 2026-27 Premier League wage bill vs. position comparison

Nestor Watach • 21 Sep 2026

Manchester United and Hull City are at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to league position vs wage bills in Premier League table

Contrasting fortunes this season...

Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal are all sitting in vastly contrasting places when you compare their wage bill rankings to their league positions after the first four games of the 2026-27 Premier League season.

Of course, it’s still early in the season. Very early. Five matches can tell us only so much about how the season will eventually play out, and the table is still taking shape.

Still, there are already some big, eye-catching differences between wage outlay and performance.

Brentford lead the way. They are fourth in the Premier League despite having the 17th-highest wage bill, which stands at just £49million. That is a remarkable +13 difference between their league position and wage ranking.

Brighton are second in that regard. They are third while ranking 15th for wages, with a £51million annual bill, giving them a +12 difference. Hull City are third, sitting eighth despite having the 19th-highest wage bill at just £16million. Their +11 difference is another remarkable return for a newly-promoted side.

Leeds United have also made an impressive start. They occupy fifth place while sitting 14th in the wage rankings. Their annual wage bill is only £53million, giving them a +9 difference.

Ipswich are another side punching well above their wage bill. They sit 11th while ranking 18th for wages, with an annual wage bill of just £20million. That’s a +7 difference.

The traditional powerhouses have produced a mixed bag. Arsenal are second while having the third-highest wage bill in the division, at £154million. That puts them one place ahead of their wage position, while Manchester City are top and second in the wage rankings, leaving them one place below where their spending would suggest.

Chelsea are 10th with the seventh-highest wage bill, £97million, while top spenders Liverpool are sixth. The Reds have the highest wage bill in the Premier League at £177million but sit five places below that ranking.

The other ‘Big Six’ underachievers are not hard to spot. Manchester United are 12th with the fourth-highest wage bill of £152million, while Tottenham are bottom of the Premier League despite having the fifth-highest at £138million. Oof.

Villa are also well off the pace. They are 16th despite having the sixth-highest wage bill, with £98million going on salaries. That puts them -10 against their wage ranking.

We’ve ranked every Premier League club by the gap between their league position and wage-bill ranking, from the biggest overperformers to the biggest underperformers. Keep an eye on this one, as we’ll be keeping it updated as the season progresses.

Note: All wage bill data is via Capology.