Stefan Borson says Liverpool’s massive wage bill has blown apart the myths surrounding their spending habits
Liverpool’s squad were richly rewarded during their title-winning season at Anfield last year.
Football Insider had earlier disclosed that the club’s wage bill climbed beyond £400 million in the 2024–25 campaign, largely driven by bonus payments to players and staff after securing the Premier League crown. This has now been supported by figures from Deloitte’s 2026 Money League, which show Liverpool’s total wages rising from £386m in 2023–24 to £421m last season.
Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk remain the club’s top earners, with both reportedly pocketing close to £400,000 per week after agreeing new contracts last April. While Manchester City previously topped the Premier League wage charts, their spending fell from £413m in 2023–24 to £408m after missing out on major silverware last season.
Former Manchester City financial adviser Stefan Borson told Football Insider that Liverpool’s players likely shared around £20m in bonuses following their league triumph under Arne Slot.
Liverpool’s financial growth wasn’t limited to wages, as the club also posted record revenue figures. According to Deloitte, turnover jumped significantly from £614m to £702m.
Discussing the numbers, Borson explained: “If you look at the wages first, there’s probably about £20m included for winning the league. That would put Liverpool back at a similar level to City in terms of wage spending.
“It’s also worth noting that Deloitte’s figures don’t always match audited accounts. For example, City is listed at £397m here, but their audited figure is £408m, which suggests a £10m difference. Manchester United show a similar gap, so Liverpool’s audited wage figure could also change slightly.”
Borson stressed that Liverpool’s wage bill remains “huge,” despite the perception that the club operates more cautiously than its rivals.
“The reality is Liverpool were running at around £400m last season,” he said. “That really challenges the idea that they do things very differently from other top clubs. The wage bill is massive, but it’s justified because they won the league. This isn’t about extreme frugality — it’s about having an elite squad that’s paid accordingly, putting them alongside clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona.”
Liverpool currently sit sixth in the Premier League standings after their dramatic 3–2 loss to Bournemouth on Saturday (24 January).
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