5 most underpaid footballers in the world right now

Phil Foden is rated very highly by his coach Guardiola.

Footballers are some of the highest-paid athletes in the world, and the game has seen a massive influx of cash over the past decade. €100million-plus fees have become the common theme in transfers involving elite footballers, with more than 10 transfers crossing the €100m mark in the past five years.

This has directly reflected on footballers' wages, with the likes of Gareth Bale and Eden Hazard earning a staggering €692,660-per-week and £416,000-a-week, respectively. While most footballers are more than adequately paid, some are not sufficiently compensated for their efforts.

Today, we take a look at the five most underpaid footballers in the world right now.

#5 Declan Rice | £62,000-per-week

The England international is currently one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, but earns only £62,000-per-week, according to talksport.com and thesun.co.uk.

Declan Rice has been heavily linked with the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea in the ongoing summer transfer window. The Englishman is undoubtedly one of the best players in his position in European football and warrants more than a £62,000-per-week salary. This becomes more apparent when compared to his contemporaries. According to multiple sources, N'Golo Kante's new contract with Chelsea will see him earn £290,000 per week.

Declan Rice's game by numbers vs. Newcastle:

100% take-on success
98% pass accuracy
50 passes
7 ball recoveries
6 duels won
3 take-ons
3 touches in the opp. box
2 chances created
2 interceptions

Spin him once and he takes is personally. 😤 pic.twitter.com/1L7xKD1jzR
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) August 15, 2021

If rumors are to be believed, West Ham are set to offer Declan Rice a new contract, which will see him more than double his wage. However, there has been no official announcement of a new contract amid interest from several top clubs.

#4 Scott McTominay | £20,000-per-week

Scott McTominay earns around £20,000-per-week

Scott McTominay rapidly rose to prominence in Manchester United's senior setup and is currently one of the most important players in the squad. McTominay has registered 134 appearances for his boyhood club in a relatively young career.

This does not reflect in his contract, though, with the Scotsman earning £20,000-per-week, according to a report by sportbible.com. While Manchester United have been linked with a host of midfielders, there have been no official bids for anyone in the positions he and Fred play in.

This effectively means that Scott McTominay and Fred will be first-choice for the central and holding midfield positions. As a starting midfielder at a club like Manchester United, one could argue that McTominay deserves a lot more than this current salary.

Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes will deservedly take all the headlines.

But let's take a moment to appreciate Scott McTominay's monster performance in midfield today. pic.twitter.com/jN8armiA4z
— UnitedReds (@UnitedRedscom) August 14, 2021

To put things into context, Phil Jones bags £75,000-per-week at Manchester United.