10 highest-paid players in the Serie A this season (2021-22)
The Italian Serie A is one of the most competitive football leagues in the world. Many quality players ply their trade in the Italian top flight.
That is true even after the return of Cristiano Ronaldo and Romelu Lukaku - two standout performers in the 2020-21 Serie A - back to the Premier League this summer. The two players were among the top wage earners in the division.
In the 2020-21 season, the Serie A had a total wage bill of €1.36 billion, with Juventus accounting for €236 million. Ronaldo earned a whopping €31 million, which was almost four times more than any other Bianconeri player.
But even after his departure this summer, Juventus (€213.4 million) have the highest wage bill in Serie A. That is also one of the highest wage bills across all sports.
On that note, here are the ten best-paid players (base salaries excluding bonuses) in the 2021-22 Serie A:
#10 Alex Sandro (Juventus) ~ €115,000 per week
Alex Sandro is one of several Juventus players who is one of the top earners in the Italian Serie A this season.
The 30-year-old left-back has made over 200 appearances for the Bianconeri, with 163 of these games coming in the Serie A. Sandro, who has scored only 13 times across competitions for the Bianconeri, recently scored his first brace for the club.
The five-time Serie A winner is contracted to Juventus until 2023, and reportedly earns €6 million a year. That is equivalent to around €115,000 a week.
#9 Edin Dzeko (Inter Milan) ~ €115,000 per week
Edin Dzeko is one of the most prolific strikers in Serie A at the moment. The 35-year-old recently made his 200th appearance in the competition when he made his league debut for Inter Milan this season.
One of a handful of players to score 50 goals in three top-five leagues, Dzeko joined the Nerazzurri for free despite having a year on his AS Roma contract.
The all-time Bosnia and Herzegovina top scorer will reportedly earn €6 million a year at Inter. That would translate to an approximate weekly earning of €115,000.
#8 Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus) ~ €125,000 per week
Leonardo Bonucci has been a standout performer for club and country for a few years now.
The veteran defender recently made history by becoming the oldest player to score in the European Championship final. He also scored in that penalty-shootout win over England in Italy's triumphant Euro 2020 campaign.
The 34-year-old centre-back has won nine Serie A titles - all but one of them with Juventus. He recently signed a contract extension that would keep him at the club until 2024.
Bonucci reportedly earns €6 million a year with the record Serie A champions, making his weekly on-field earnings roughly €125 million.
#7 Wojciech Szczesny (Juventus) ~ €125,000 per week
Juventus custodian Wojciech Szczesny has made close to 200 Serie A appearances, with most of them coming with the Bianconeri.
The former Arsenal keeper is a three-time Serie A winner with Juventus and is contracted to the club until 2024. He has been a decent shot-stopper for the Bianconeri, recently making a career-best eight Serie A saves in a game against AC Milan.
The Poland international reportedly takes home an annual salary of €6.5 million, which is around €125,000 per week.