Who’s the highest-paid player at Stamford Bridge this season? Boardroom dives into the details of Chelsea wage spending currently on the books.
Prestigious London club Chelsea FC have a proud tradition of lifting hardware, and they enhanced their trophy cabinet massively thanks in no small part to Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich’s arrival in 2003. Chelsea truly began to make high-profile signings from that point on, dishing out the contracts necessary to dominate English football with stars like Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, John Terry, and Petr Cech leading the charge.
Under Abramovich, the Blues went on a monumental spending spree, bringing in some of the best players in the world and winning its first league title in 50 years come the 2004-05 season. Come 2011, despite UEFA introducing “Financial Fair Play” regulations that spurred a two-year club transfer ban due to spending on players too far beyond its revenues, CFC managed to win a first-ever UEFA Champions League title the very next year.
Today, after Abramovich was forced to sell after being slapped with sanctions by the UK government, Chelsea have carried their decadent spending traditions over under the leadership of American billionaire Todd Boehly’s investment group, which purchased the club for a reported $5.2 billion. After dropping a record $330.39 million last summer and $395.24 million in January, the club has spent more money than the combined price of clubs in Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1 during the latter transfer window.
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So, how does the club continue to spend so much money despite the constraints of Financial Fair Play rules? Instead of paying the bulk of wages up front, the club spreads the cost of many of its transfers across the lengths of multi-year contracts in order to prevent overly substantial single-year costs. Consider it the footballing cousin of deferred money in the MLB and “void years” in the NFL, mitigating the risk of betting huge on young players by giving them contracts upwards of nine years in length.
With an emphasis on developing young talent and building for the future, CFC have a vision for replicating their past success. With that in mind, let’s look at all the Chelsea salaries and contract particulars currently on the books at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea Salaries & Contracts for the 2022-23 Season
All wage spending figures via Capology
1. LW Raheem Sterling: $20,379,840
- Contract: 5 years, $101,899,201
- Click here to read Boardroom’s deep dive into Sterling’s contract details.
2. CB Kalidou Koulibaly: $18,498,624
- Contract: 4 years, $73,994,496
- Click here to read Boardroom’s deep dive into Koulibaly’s contract details.
3. DM N’Golo Kante: $18,185,088
- Contract: 1 year, $18,185,088
4. RB Reece James: $15,676,800
- Contract: 6 years, $94,060,801
5. CB Wesley Fofana: $12,541,440
- Contract: 7 years, $87,790,081
- Click here to read Boardroom’s deep dive into Fofana’s contract details.
6. LB Ben Chilwell: $11,914,368
- Contract: 3 years, $35,743,104
7. CM Enzo Fernández: $11,287,296
- Contract: 9 years, $101,585,665
- Click here to read Boardroom’s deep dive into Enzo’s contract details.
T-7. RB César Azpilicueta: $11,287,296
- Contract: 2 years, $22,574,592
9. LB Marc Cucurella: $10,973,760
- Contract: 6 years, $65,842,560
- Click here to read Boardroom’s deep dive into Cucurella’s contract details.
10. ST Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: $10,003,152
- Contract: 2 years, $20,066,304
- Click here to read Boardroom’s deep dive into Auba’s contract details.
11. GK Kepa Arrizabalaga: $9,406,080
- Contract: 2 years, $28,218,240
T-11. RW Christian Pulisic: $9,406,080
- Contract: 2 years, $18,812,160
- Click here to read Boardroom’s deep dive into Pulisic’s contract details.
T-11. CAM Kai Havertz: $9,406,080
- Contract: 3 years, $28,218,240
14. CM Ruben Loftus-Cheek: $7,524,864
- Contract: 2 years, $15,049,728
15. CF João Félix: $6,897,792
- Contract: 1 year, $6,897,792
T-15. CB Thiago Silva: $6,897,792
- Contract: 2 years, $13,795,584
17. RW Hakim Ziyech: $6,270,720
- Contract: 3 years, $18,812,160
T-17. CM Mateo Kovacic: $6,270,720
- Contract: 2 years, $12,541,440
T-17. LW Mykhailo Mudryk: $6,270,720
- Contract: 9 years, $56,436,480
- Click here to read Boardroom’s deep dive into Mudryk’s move to Chelsea.
T-17. CM Carney Chukwuemeka: $6,270,720
- Contract: 6 years, 37,624,320
21. CB Benoît Badiashile: $5,643,648
- Contract: 8 years, $45,149,184
- Click here to read Boardroom’s deep dive into Badiashile’s move to Chelsea.
T-21. CDM Denis Zakaria: $5,643,648
- Contract: 1 year, $5,643,648
23. CAM Mason Mount: $5,016,576
- Contract: 2 years, $10,033,152
24. GK Edouard Mendy: $3,448,896
- Contract: 3 years, $10,346,688
25. CM Conor Gallagher: $3,135,360
- Contract: 3 years, $9,406,080
T-25. CB Trevoh Chalobah: $3,135,560
- Contract: 6 years, $18,812,160
T-25. RW Noni Madueke: $3,135,560
- Contract: 8 years, $25,082,880
- Click here to read Boardroom’s deep dive into Madueke’s move to Chelsea.
28. CF Armando Broja: $2,508,288
- Contract: 6 years, $15,049,728
T-28. GK Gabriel Slonina: $2,080,000
- Contract: 6 years, $15,049,728
30. GK Marcus Bettinelli: $2,194,752
- Contract: 1 year, $2,194,752
31. CF David Datro Fofana: $1,881,216
- Contract: 7 years, $13,168,512
- Click here to read Boardroom’s deep dive into Fofana’s move to Chelsea.
32. LB Lewis Hall: $438,950
- Contract: 3 years, $1,316,851
Chelsea 2022-23 Wage Spending Facts
All salary figures via Capology as of March 21, 2023
- Annual Salaries: $254,089,574
- Weekly Wage Spending: $4,886,338
- Average Player Salary per Week: $152,698
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