[dlan4327]

Premier League Club wages top £1.5billion for the first time

The wage bill is in and it makes for some interesting viewing.

TOP FIVE PREMIER LEAGUE WAGE BILLS, 2006-07
(2005/6 wages in brackets)
1. Chelsea - £132.8m (£114m)
2. Manchester Utd - £92.3m (£85.4m)
3. Arsenal - £89.7m (£82.9m)
4. Liverpool - £77.6m (£68.9m)
5. Newcastle Utd - £62.4m (£52.2m)

No surprises really for 1st and 2nd place. After all we've earned it. The real interesting figure is Arsenal's expenditure.

After all of Wenger's professing about not breaking wage structures and being frugal. He's spends as much as us and he still can't win.

What's the point of his penny pinching on transfers when he pays out only £3 million less than United on player wages.

The real question, however, is who's earning all this money? I mean isn't Fabregas one of their top earners on £80 000 a week?

For comparison we pay Wes Brown £60 000 a week. He's not even close to Rooney & Ronaldo in wage parity. So where's the cash going?

Unless Wenger is paying himself £20 000 000 a year I don't understand. How are they spending that. Any ideas?

The figures for club debt & lowest stadium usage were also released. They are more in line with expectations.

DEBT BURDEN OF PREMIER LEAGUE CLUBS
(At end of 2006-07 season)

1. Chelsea - (£620m)
2. Manchester Utd (£605m)
3. Arsenal - (£268m)
4. Fulham - (£182m)
5. West Ham Utd (£142m)

PREMIER LEAGUE CLUBS WITH LOWEST STADIUM UTILISATION
(Average percentage of stadium filled for home games)
1. Bolton Wanderers - 75%
2. Middlesbrough - 76.3%
3. Blackburn Rovers - 76.8%
4. Wigan Athletic - 76.9%
5. Sunderland - 89%

 

[manutd43va]

arsenal only 3m behind united?
then why is flamini and more leaving?
doubt the figure is kinda inaccurate for arsenal

 

[Zenitka]

hahahaha
Chelski are squanderers.... beaten squanderers!
United forever!

 

[Nemanjaaa]

I was listening to this on sky sports and they were saying the wage bill for the rpem is almost double seria A, and the Championship made it into the top 5 for the wage bills.
It went ... Prem, Bundesliga, La Liga, Seria A, Championship.
And also apprently we make more over 2 league games (from fans, tickets etc.) than Wigan do over all 19 home games :O !

 

[The_Red_Prince]

Arsenal are spending virtually the same amount as us and they still cant win.Priceless

 

[Keano!]

Its the progression of football and there's nothing we can do.

Sir Matt would be turning in his grave at these figures.

I'd love to see each players wage here at United....

 

[Drew9]

good shout keano that would be fantastic to see

 

[ScholesHeScoresGoals]

Arsenal do not know how to handle money! Evemn though they spot good young talent, they just leave after a trophyless season...cough cough Pleb i mean Hleb and Flamani!

 

[ADAM_85]

I'd love to see each players wage here at United....

Give Grant Thornton a ring.

I'd enjoy seeing their tax bills, as I'm sure they'll be paying a lot less than 40%.

Whats the source of this story? I'd like to see the whole league table for stadium utilisation. In line with everyone else, I'm really suprised at Arsenal's wage bill.