The enormous success of Liverpool in both domestic and European competitions over the years has been built on the back of great teams and individual talents. From Kenny Dalglish to Ian Rush, the success story of the Reds is studded with the names of brilliant football players.
In the current era, money talks louder than history when it comes to attracting top players to the team. The sport is a financial juggernaut, with large investors, billionaire owners and huge weekly ticket sales contributing to the amount of money in the game. When you also take into consideration the fact that the Premier League is one of the most popular football leagues for betting in the world, it is no surprise that there is a lot of money being spent on player wages.
The best Premier League players generate revenue for their clubs and for other industries like the television and sports betting ones. So which Liverpool stars lead the way in terms of salaries and what has the club received in return for them?
#1 Mohammed Salah
Mohammed Salah officially became the highest paid player at the club last summer when he signed an extension to his contract. The 30-year-old striker from Egypt earns £350,000 a week under the terms of his new deal, adding up to £18.2 million a year.
That is a lot for any player to live up to, but it would be hard to find a Reds fan who thought that Salah had been anything other than a success. Liverpool broke their transfer record to bring him to the club at a cost of £36.9 million six years ago and he scored the highest ever number of goals over 38 games in his first season.
Overall, he has an astounding 134 goals from 211 games and has been pivotal in the Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup triumphs under Jurgen Klopp. Some fans questioned the new contract given his age, but Salah is still more than capable of delivering at the highest level.
#2 Virgil Van Dijk
Dutch centre back Virgil Van Dijk is second on the list. He is paid £220,000 a week and £11.4 million per year. Up until this season, most fans would probably still have regarded that as a bargain. He was widely considered to be the best central defender in football and a key part of two hugely successful seasons in a row.
He combined class on the ball with imposing height and strength and was compared to Premier League giants like Rio Ferdinand. That has changed this season though, as the Dutchman has struggled for form as Liverpool have frequently been exposed in defence. He is now injured and could miss much of the run-in, meaning next season will be a clean slate for him.
#3 Thiago Alcantara
Alcantara was signed from Bayern Munich three years ago in a transfer that excited all Liverpool fans. The central midfielder enjoyed a glittering career in Germany, and it was felt that he would provide class and creation at the heart of the Anfield team.
He has fulfilled his potential to a certain degree. There is nothing wrong with Alcantara’s play and he helped Liverpool to EPL Cup and FA Cup triumphs, but his wages are massive enough to still call the transfer into question.
He is on £200,000 a week and £10.4 million per year and that is a lot of cash to pay a player who has only managed 15 appearances. His absence has been felt as the Liverpool midfield has often been overrun. To be clear: he is the best midfielder at the club, but now may be the time to let him leave so the Reds can invest in a player with a more reliable fitness record.
#4 Trent Alexander-Arnold
With wages of £180,000 a week and £9.36 million a year, the 24-year-old right back is next on the list. It has been a tough season for him in 2022/23, but that is true for Liverpool as a whole, and he is still very young.
From the moment he emerged during the 2016/17 season he has looked a star and won the club’s Young Player of the Season award after his first campaign. His strong defending coupled with varying attacking assists through passes and crosses have made him integral to the club’s success in the Klopp era and even earned him a nomination for the Ballon d’Or. Trent has his entire career in front of him and will surely go on to show that he is worth every penny of what Liverpool are paying him.
These players have all made huge contributions over the past few seasons of glory, justifying their wages. Hopefully they will continue to perform and provide the club with a positive return on their investment.
