Who is Barcelona's highest-paid player?

Barcelona are mired in a financial crisis and players have taken pay cuts during the covid pandemic, but the wage bill remains high among the big-earners.

Barcelona are in a battle with the club’s own bank account as the board try to balance the books and LaLiga wage bill regulations in order to add players to the squad, and the salaries of many of Xavi’s highest-earners have now been revealed. The list is led by Gerard Piqué, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, the club’s three of the club’s captains and longest-serving players. Barça’s financial problems are laid bare – and their current efforts to trim the squad – in the players that come next, with Samuel Umtiti, Philippe Coutinho, who has joined Aston Villa on loan until January, and Ousmane Dembélé all on big bucks.

Umtiti, Dest and Dembélé in the shop window

The list was revealed by journalist Lluis Canut on regional television channel Esport 3. Barça are looking to offload Umtiti and Sergiño Dest in the January window and are still in talks with Dembélé over a contract extension, with the France winger likely to leave in July. Bayern Munich have expressed an interest in Dembélé as a potential replacement for Kingsley Coman, and although Xavi believes if he can maintain form and fitness Dembélé can be the best in the world in his position, he has so far largely failed to live up to his price tag after joining from Borussia Dortmund for €105m.

According to Canut, the list of Barça’s highest earners runs as follows: Gerard Piqué (€28m), Sergio Busquets (€23m), Jordi Alba (€20m), Samuel Umtiti (€20m), Marc-André ter Stegen (€14m), Philippe Coutinho (€16m), Ousmane Dembélé and Sergi Roberto (€12m each).

These are all adjusted, according to Canut, to reflect the pay cuts Barça’s players accepted during the covid-19 crisis, with only Piqué retaining his previous salary via a loyalty bonus.

Barcelona save a few bob from Messi and Griezmann

Barcelona reduced their wage bill quite considerably last summer when Leo Messi and Antoine Griezmann left Camp Nou. The Argentina captain had been on an eye-watering €135m a year, with Griezmann on €21m.