Liverpool overtake Man City to post Premier League's highest wage bill

Suraj Radia

• 27 Feb 2026 14:07 CST
• 3 min read

News

Liverpool have been revealed to have had the highest wage bill in the Premier League last season during the campaign in which they won the title under Arne Slot.

The Reds saw their wage bill from the previous season increase by £42 million (€47.8m) to a total of £428m (€488m) including bonuses for the year ending 31 May 2025, ahead of Manchester City on £408m (€465m.)

However, Liverpool also recorded a record revenue of £703m (€801.4m) after their return to Champions League football, making the wages-to-revenue ratio a healthy 61%.

The figures do not include Liverpool’s outlay of nearly €500m on players last summer in a window where they broke the British transfer record twice but chief financial officer Jenny Beacham admitted that the club faces ‘significant cost challenges’.

“We make no secret of our desire to run and operate a financially sustainable club, to grow revenue streams, and to do all we can off the pitch to help bring more success on it,” Beacham, said.

“The club does face significant cost challenges, including rises in administrative, staffing and operational costs, alongside the need for us to compete at the highest level of the game, across our men and women’s teams.”

Liverpool desperate for Champions League qualification after financial revelation

The increase in the wage bill can be explained in part by Liverpool’s incentivised contract policy, which saw players receive bonuses for winning the title.

The rise in wages, combined with the increased revenue, suggests that Liverpool will be desperate to ensure they qualify for the Champions League next season to avoid a significant loss next year.

Liverpool sit ahead of Man City, while Arsenal are understood to have the third-highest wages in the league at £338m (€385m) and Manchester United just behind at £313m (€356m.)

Other headline numbers show that Liverpool’s costs per year was £657m (€748.9m), while the pre-tax profit was £15.2m (€17.3m), compared to a £57m (€65m) loss before tax for the previous financial year, in which they competed in the Europa League.

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