Forgotten Chelsea defender Malang Saar earns more than Cole Palmer and Thiago Silva.
The Blues’ approach to squad building has come under intense scrutiny since Todd Boehly took over in the summer of 2022. The American owner has faced a barrage of criticism for splashing out over £1billion on players, which was largely seen as reckless until Chelsea's late-season surge for a European spot.
Part of Boehly's strategy involves signing young players to long-term contracts while keeping their wages relatively low. That has resulted in a rather odd-looking wage bill for the current squad, especially given some of the salaries of players signed before or at the start of his reign.
The pay packets of several key players currently do not necessarily reflect their importance to the team. According to Spotrac, top-scorer Palmer is on just £75,000-a-week, placing him among the middle of the pack in terms of earnings.
Palmer's salary is a more accurate reflection of his status before his £42.5million move from Manchester City in the summer, as opposed to his 22 league goals this season which have made him a crucial part of Chelsea's rebuild and put him in contention for the Golden Boot, reports Football London.
The 22 year old's annual earnings of £3.9m are roughly on par with other youngsters signed during the Boehly era to six, seven, eight, and even nine-year contracts, such as Axel Disasi (£4.1m), Benoit Badiashile (£4.7m) and Nicolas Jackson (£3.4m).
There is a stark contrast between these players and the likes of Ben Chilwell, who was signed in 2020 and earns around £10.4m per year. Chilwell, with his £200,000-per-week salary, takes home nearly double what veteran defender Silva manages (£5.7m per year), despite the departing Brazilian being hailed as the Blues' top defender.
Even more surprising is that defender Sarr is Chelsea's ninth highest earner. The 25-year-old centre back has only made eight league appearances since he was signed in 2020, and has not played a single minute this season under Mauricio Pochettino.
Sarr's planned January move to Le Havre fell through on Transfer Deadline Day. He is expected to leave Stamford Bridge in the summer even though he still has a year left on his contract.
Raheem Sterling is easily the Blues' highest earner with a weekly wage of £325,000 (£16.9m annually). The ex-England international turned down a reported offer from the Saudi Pro League last summer that would have tripled his current salary.
However, Sterling's playing time has significantly decreased over the course of the season. With just seven league goals to his name, the Blues might decide to part ways with the seasoned forward to balance their wage bill amid concerns about meeting Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
Chelsea's wage structure could therefore undergo a major reshuffle as the club prepares to offload fringe players and reward Palmer with a well-earned pay rise. Stamford Bridge bosses are planning to double Palmer's salary and award him a goal bonus, catapulting him into the top 10 earners at the club.
Conor Gallagher, who has been wearing the captain's armband for most of the season, is also expected to have his contract situation resolved with his deal set to expire in a year's time. The dynamic midfielder currently earns just £50,000-per-week (£2.6m-per-year).
He is reportedly pushing to triple his salary, though Chelsea are contemplating selling the academy product to ease their Financial Fair Play concerns.
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