Arsenal’s wage bill laid bare: who’s earning what at the Emirates in 2025/26

Arsenal are right back amongst the big hitters, and the pay packets tell you why. Under Mikel Arteta, the Gunners have built a serious, title-chasing squad – and they’ve paid for the privilege. From academy starlets to megastars on monster money, here’s how the 2025/26 wage bill stacks up, correct as of 09/01/2026.

Headline numbers: Bukayo Saka leads the lot on £300,000 per week after his January 2026 five-year deal. Kai Havertz follows on £280,000, with Gabriel Jesus at £265,000. Midfield generals Declan Rice and Martin Ødegaard are each on £240,000, while new No 9 Viktor Gyökeres sits at £200,000. That’s the gold tier of Arteta’s project – and it’s paid accordingly.

Goalkeepers

David Raya’s permanent move has proved a masterstroke. Golden Glove in the bag and now a new deal, the Spaniard is on £120,000 per week to 30 June 2028 after fresh terms signed on 7 October 2025 (Salary Leaks). Arsenal trimmed the fat by moving Aaron Ramsdale and his £120k a week to Southampton back in 2024, and recruited Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea on £60,000 per week from 1 July 2025 after loans with Real Madrid and Bournemouth. Behind them, 17-year-old Jack Porter earns just £850 per week on a deal through June 2026 (Salary Leaks) – talk about a gap between starter and third choice.

Defenders

You won’t find a better centre-half pairing in the league than William Saliba and Gabriel – and the wages reflect it. Saliba’s new contract, signed 30 September 2025, puts him at £250,000 per week until 2030. Gabriel sits on £150,000 to 2029 after his June 2025 renewal. Out wide, Ben White pockets £150,000 a week (deal to 2028) and is fighting to nail down his starting spot again after last season’s injury troubles.

Recruitment’s been sharp too. Riccardo Calafiori arrived in 2024 on £120,000 per week to 2029, while Jurrien Timber is a tidy £90,000 to 2028. The club nabbed highly rated Cristhian Mosquera from Valencia on £55,000 per week to 2030, and home-grown hope Myles Lewis-Skelly is already on £45,000 per week to 2030 after a breakout season. Jakub Kiwior exited for Porto on deadline day, but Arsenal plugged the gap with Piero Hincapié at £65,000 per week – initially a loan, with a permanent switch pencilled in for next summer (contracted to 2029).

Midfield

Arsenal’s engine room isn’t just slick – it’s well compensated. Ødegaard and Rice are both at £240,000 per week on deals running to 2028, which feels about right for two of the division’s standout midfielders. Eberechi Eze, signed for £67.5m, penned four years at £180,000 per week and adds that slalom dribbler’s spark Arteta craves.

There’s value too. Mikel Merino is on £130,000 per week to 2028 after doing a bit of everything – even leading the line at times last season. Martin Zubimendi arrived in June 2025 at around £75,000 per week to 2030, with Christian Nørgaard a shade lower at £65,000 to 2027. Smart banding, sensible depth, proper balance.

Forwards

Here’s where the chequebook really opens. Saka’s fresh five-year deal, signed 9 January 2026, rockets him to £300,000 per week – a rise from roughly £195,000 previously (Salary Leaks). Havertz, whose move from Chelsea raised eyebrows at the time, sits on £280,000 per week and looks every inch the hybrid forward Arteta envisaged. Jesus remains among the top earners at £265,000 to 2027.

The marquee No 9 arrived this summer: Viktor Gyökeres, £55m from Sporting, earns £200,000 per week to 2030 and gives Arsenal the penalty-box presence they’ve long coveted. On the flanks, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard are level at £180,000 per week (Trossard’s jump from £90k shows his stock has risen), with Noni Madueke’s surprise switch from Chelsea coming in at £150,000 per week to 2030. Ethan Nwaneri’s senior breakthrough is reflected in £80,000 per week to 2030, while wonderkid Max Dowman remains on an academy scholar’s £350 per week until he turns 17 and can sign pro terms (Salary Leaks).

What the wage bill tells us

This is a big-club wage structure with a clear hierarchy. The elite bracket – Saka, Havertz, Jesus, Rice, Ødegaard, Gyökeres – is paid to deliver titles. Beneath that, Arsenal have stacked the squad with ascending talents on mid-tier money, leaving wriggle room for future renewals. Shifting Ramsdale’s £120k in 2024 and landing value deals for Zubimendi and Mosquera shows there’s method as well as muscle in the market.

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Sources and date

All wages and contract details are drawn from Capology unless stated otherwise; figures for David Raya, Bukayo Saka and Max Dowman (and Jack Porter’s stipend) are via Salary Leaks. Numbers are accurate as of 09/01/2026 and may be subject to change with future renewals and bonuses.