The 10 highest-paid goalkeepers in the world
It is common knowledge that football players are some of the highest-paid athletes in the world. In recent years the wage bills of clubs have gone through the roof, but the distribution of wages has remained unequal, with the strikers, midfielders and wingers getting the lion's share.
Meanwhile, the defenders and goalkeepers are usually found at the lowest rung of earners on that list.
Former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson once stated that - "A great goalkeeper is worth 15 points over the course of a season" and it seems that clubs are finally waking up to the reality that to win trophies you need the very best goalkeepers. As a result, there's now an elite class of goalkeepers whose earnings are at par or even higher than their teammates.
Paying a goalkeeper a six-figure weekly wage is still a rarity and only a handful of clubs with deep pockets currently pay such huge sums to their shot-stoppers. Let us now take a look at the highest-earning keepers in the world.
10 highest-paid goalkeepers in the world
(Note: The weekly wages are as reported by Sillyseason and Sportekz, the actual wages could vary as these figures are only an estimate taken from various sources)
#T7 Wojciech Szczęsny (Juventus) - £130,000 per week
Wojciech Szczęsny has seen more playtime with Juventus in just three seasons than he did in his 8-year spell with Arsenal in the Premier League. The Polish goalkeeper joined Juventus in 2017 for a reported fee of £10million, initially as a backup for Gianluigi Buffon, but went on to replace the Italian legend by 2018 as the club's first-choice goalkeeper, partly due to Buffon's struggles with injuries that term.
By no means is Juventus the best-paying club in the world, but the fact that the club has made him the Serie A's highest-paid goalkeeper with a reported weekly wage of £130,000 per week lets us know the kind of confidence the club has on the Arsenal reject. He won the Serie A Best Goalkeeper Award for his performances in the 2019-20 campaign.
Szczęsny is a fine shot-stopper and in 308 league fixtures across three clubs has kept 114 clean sheets, including 34 with Juventus. His best season with Arsenal was the 2013-14 campaign in which he won the FA Cup, Community Shield and the prestigious Premier League Golden Glove Award (shared with Petr Cech).
#T7 Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester City) - £130,000 per week
Kasper Schmeichel has been with Leicester City through the ups and downs since he moved to the East Midlands from Leeds in 2011, having started his career at Manchester City.
The player was a crucial part of the team under Claudio Ranieri which lifted the Premier League title in the 2015-16 campaign and played every single minute that season. He went on to keep 15 clean sheets as the Foxes' fairytale run ended with them lifting their first top-flight title.
The player was awarded an improved deal in 2018, when he, alongside Jamie Vardy became the club's highest-paid players ever, earning £130,000 per week. Vardy has since signed a one-year extension and reportedly earns £140,000 per week.
#T6 Alisson Becker (Liverpool) - £150,000 per week
Premier League champions Liverpool have one of the best squads in the world, and goalkeeper Alisson was the final piece of the puzzle for Jurgen Klopp's side as the Reds went on to win the Champions League and Premier League after he moved to the Anfield in 2018.
The recipient of the inaugural Yashin Trophy has a great record in the Premier League, having kept 35 clean sheets in 70 games and has shipped in 49 goals. Injury has kept him on the sidelines this term and his absence is already reflected in their results with Liverpool already letting in 11 goals this season.
As per latest reports, the Brazilian nets a handsome sum of £150,000 a week.
Also See: 5 Premier League goalkeepers with the most clean sheets in a single season