In recent years, the topic of footballer salaries has become one of the most debated in the world of football. In Italy, the issue takes on even greater weight due to the need to balance sporting ambitions and economic sustainability. The 2025/26 season offers some very interesting data: here are the highest-paid players in Serie A and what their contracts reveal about the state of our league.
Serie A’s Big Earners: The Seven Highest-Paid Players
It is understood that the rankings for gross salaries see Dušan Vlahović leading the way with €22.2 million per year at Juventus, a clear lead over Inter’s Lautaro Martínez (€16.6 million). Behind them are Paulo Dybala (Roma, €12.9 million), Nicolò Barella (Inter, €12 million), and a trio of players with €11.1 million: Kevin De Bruyne (Napoli), Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Inter), and Jonathan David (Juventus).
These names are not surprising: they are internationally renowned players, symbols of their respective teams, often decisive in terms of media and commercial impact.
Vlahović in the European Top 10
Despite the Premier League and La Liga dominating the ranking of the richest footballers, Vlahović remains among the top 10 highest-paid players in the five major European leagues. With a weekly salary of approximately €427,308 (equivalent to £368,416 or $500,187), the Serbian striker ranks sixth in Europe.
Comparison with Other Astonishing Salaries
Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé obviously stand out. The Norwegian, the highest-paid, earns approximately €31.8 million gross per year, while the Frenchman earns €31.3 million. Rounding out the top 5 are Harry Kane with €25 million, Mohamed Salah with €24.1 million, and David Alaba with €22.5 million.
Wages: The Impact of Clubs
Looking at the overall picture and according to several sources, Serie A will spend approximately €1.1 billion gross on salaries in 2025/26. Inter tops the list with €139.7 million, followed by Juventus (€126 million), Napoli (€110.8 million), Roma (€109 million), and AC Milan (€94.7 million).
The data clearly shows that the “big five” clubs dominate the league’s wage economy, while the gap with the smaller and medium-sized clubs remains wide.
What Determines Such High Salaries?
The million-dollar salaries of top players aren’t just a matter of talent. Several factors come into play:
- sporting performance and international visibility,
- the club’s financial power,
- competition from foreign leagues,
- the weight of sponsorship contracts.
In some cases, high salaries are also “compensation” for a low-cost transfer: for example, De Bruyne arrived in Naples on a free transfer, but with a very high salary.
Risks: Sustainability and Inequality
The central issue remains sustainability. Higher salaries guarantee quality and competitiveness, but they also pose a risk to financial statements, especially if sporting results aren’t forthcoming.
The differences with smaller clubs, which often have wages ten times lower, fuel a competitive gap that’s difficult to bridge. Furthermore, UEFA Financial Fair Play and FIGC controls on financial parameters force clubs to proceed with caution.
The 2025 Summer Transfer Market: Spending and Strategies
Serie A spent approximately €1.17 billion in the summer transfer window, with a negative balance of approximately €84 million. AC Milan, Juventus, and Napoli were the leading players, along with a highly active Atalanta.
The most interesting finding is that, despite the investments, several clubs closed with positive or at least manageable balances: a sign of a renewed focus on financial sustainability, although there were also cases of transfer bans for clubs struggling with liquidity parameters (such as Lazio).
Serie A vs. Europe: A Comparison
Compared to the Premier League, Serie A remains more modest in terms of salaries and investment, but continues to grow. The 2025/26 season saw a 3.8% increase in overall wages compared to the previous year.
The Italian league still can’t compete with the English or Spanish giants in terms of commercial appeal, but the contracts of the top clubs remain competitive: retaining players like Lautaro, Thuram, Yildiz, Vlahovic, or Barella means offering salaries close to European standards.
New Rules and the Future
An important development is the agreement introducing an automatic 25% salary reduction in the event of relegation for contracts signed after September 2025. This measure aims to protect smaller clubs and avoid unsustainable contracts in Serie B.
Looking to the future, the challenge will be twofold: maintaining the international competitiveness of the big clubs and ensuring long-term economic stability. The development of young players, improving infrastructure, and new sources of revenue (from TV rights to digital) will be decisive factors.
The salary picture in Serie A shows a league in transformation: richer than in the recent past, but also more aware of the economic risks. The million-dollar contracts of top players remain a symbol of Serie A’s allure and ambition, but behind those numbers lie delicate balances that clubs cannot afford to ignore.