Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly has overseen a lot of big-money transfers in recent years and they have also handed out a lot of lucrative contracts.
The Blues currently have the fourth-biggest payroll in the Premier League, spending £169.9million-per-year on player wages.
Here are the current top 10 earners on Chelsea’s books, ranked by how much they are paid per week.
Note: While Ben Chilwell signed a £200,000-per-week contract, Chelsea are only paying half of his wages during his loan spell at Crystal Palace.
10. Tosin Adarabioyo – £120,000
After his Fulham contract expired at the end of the 2023/24 season, Adarabioyo was linked with a number of Premier League sides.
The centre-back reportedly rejected a £100,000-per-week offer from Newcastle United before signing a £120,000-per-week deal at Chelsea.
But he has struggled to establish himself as a regular starter under Enzo Maresca and could leave the club after just one solitary season.
Chelsea are in the market for a new centre-back and TEAMtalk understands that they have identified Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen as their top target for the position.
9. Cole Palmer – £130,000
Having struggled to secure regular first-team football at Manchester City, Palmer left his boyhood club to join Chelsea in the summer of 2023.
The attacking midfielder put pen to paper on a seven-year contract at Stamford Bridge and his wage was set at £80,000-per-week.
He enjoyed a sensational debut season in 2023/24, scoring 25 goals and registering 15 assists in 45 appearances across all competitions.
The 22-year-old was rewarded with a two-year extension and a £50,000-per-week pay rise, taking his weekly salary up to £130,000.
Pure composure from Cole Palmer.pic.twitter.com/jcxhkkBuA2
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 8, 2024
8. Moises Caicedo – £150,000
Chelsea fought off competition from Liverpool to sign Caicedo from Brighton & Hove Albion in 2023 in a deal worth an initial £100million and another £15million in potential add-ons.
He signed an eight-year deal at Stamford Bridge and is taking home a base salary of £150,000-per-week. His contract also includes various performance-related bonuses and that figure could rise to £175,000-per-week.
The Ecuador international endured a mixed debut season in 2023/24 but has since rediscovered the form he showed at Brighton.
“In this moment he is one of the best, if not the best, defensive midfielder in the world,” Maresca said. “He is doing fantastic. The best thing about Moi is that every day he is working serious. He is very humble, very kind, polite. He is a fantastic guy.”
7. Pedro Neto – £160,000
Neto joined Chelsea from Wolves last summer in a deal worth an initial £51.4million plus another £2.6million in potential add-ons.
He got a significant wage increase after completing the move, going from £50,000-per-week at Molineux to £160,000-per-week at Stamford Bridge.
The Portugal international has shown glimpses of his talent in his debut season but is yet to show consistency in a Chelsea shirt.
6. Marc Cucurella – £175,000
The second former Brighton & Hove Albion player on this list, Cucurella joined Chelsea in the summer of 2022 and signed a six-year deal worth £175,000-per-week.
His contract makes him the fourth-highest-paid left-back in Europe’s top five leagues after Alphonso Davies, Lucas Hernandez and Josko Gvardiol.
The Spain international had a shaky first season at Stamford Bridge but has turned things around to become a mainstay at left back.
“Marc is very important,” Maresca said. “Marc has something that you sometimes struggle to find in players. He is good and he is making the players around him good because he is a guy who is always talking, always demanding.
“If you can have five, six or seven players like Marc in your team, who are always talking about improving the rest, it’s very important. So I’m very happy with Marc.”
5. Enzo Fernandez – £180,000
The most expensive signing in Chelsea’s history, Fernandez arrived at Stamford Bridge in a £106.8million deal in January 2023.
On top of his transfer fee, the Blues also shelled out a significant pay packet as they are giving him a reported £180,00-per-week.
The Argentina international initially struggled to adapt to Premier League football but has since developed into one of Chelsea’s most important players.
While TEAMtalk understands that Real Madrid are considering a move for the 24-year-old, Chelsea are in a strong negotiating position as his contract doesn’t expire until 2032.
Enzo Fernández doubles Chelsea’s lead against Aston Villa! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/dDphFoEDuu
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 1, 2024
4. Christopher Nkunku – £195,000
Nkunku completed a £52million move to Chelsea in 2023 and signed a £195,000-per-week contract, but he has failed to justify that huge investment.
The France international had an injury-hit first season at Stamford Bridge and has played a bit-part role under Maresca in 2024/25.
He was heavily linked with Bayern Munich and Manchester United in the January transfer window and looks set to leave the club at the end of the season.
3. Wesley Fofana – £200,000
Chelsea forked out an initial £70million and an additional £5million in potential add-ons to sign Fofana from Leicester City in the summer of 2022.
He put pen to paper on a six-year contract worth £200,000-per-week, making him the third-highest-paid centre-back in the Premier League.
But the 24-year-old has endured an injury-plagued time at Stamford Bridge, making just 34 appearances in all competitions in the last three seasons.
Chelsea are reportedly looking to offload him in the summer, although his high salary and injury record could be prohibitive to any move.
2. Raheem Sterling – £215,000
Following a trophy-laden career at Manchester City, Sterling joined Chelsea in the summer of 2022 and signed a five-year deal worth £325,000-per-week.
But the winger failed to live up to expectations at Stamford Bridge and joined Arsenal on a season-long loan deal last summer.
Chelsea are still paying him around £215,000-per-week during his time at the Emirates, while Arsenal are covering the remaining £110,000.
The 30-year-old will have two years remaining on his contract when he returns from his loan spell and Chelsea are looking to offload him on a permanent basis in the summer.
Chelsea’s Raheem Sterling
1. Reece James – £250,000
A Chelsea academy graduate, James made his senior debut in 2019 and was an integral part of their Champions League-winning team in 2020/21.
The right-back signed a six-year contract in September 2022 and it included a weekly salary of £250,000, equivalent to an annual pay-packet of £13million-per-year.
He is currently the third-highest-paid defender in Europe’s top five leagues after Real Madrid’s David Alaba and Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk.
The 25-year-old is widely regarded as one of the best right-backs in the world when fit but has been hampered by a string of injuries over the past few seasons.
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