Cristiano Ronaldo is earning £28million-a-year in wages at Juventus after taxes, three times what Matthijs de Ligt gets as the second highest earner in Serie A, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.
Juventus’ new summer signing de Ligt takes home £7.2million-a-year plus bonuses, jumping up above the likes of Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain to take up his spot behind Ronaldo.
Third spot in the list is taken up by another Serie A newcomer, Romelu Lukaku, who is getting £6.7million-a-year plus bonuses after joining Inter Milan from Manchester United this summer.
Of course, Ronaldo earns far more than his wages due to his global status. Nike alone pays him £14.68m-a-year, and he will also receive performance-based bonuses.
Juventus understandably take up the bulk of the list of top earners, with nine of their players appearing in the top 10. Only Lukaku and Inter break that mould.
Juventus have won eight Serie A titles in a row, so can afford to spend big money on the players they need to keep their run going. They reportedly spend £264million-a-year on player wages.
Aaron Ramsey is another name they have brought in this year, with the Welshman on £6.3million-a-year since joining on a free transfer after his contract with Arsenal ended.
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Adrien Rabiot joined from PSG this summer, and he too has broken into the top 10, earning the same as Ramsey plus bonuses.
With all these new arrivals, the likes of Dybala, Higuain, Miralem Pjanic, Douglas Costa, Mario Mandzukic, and Sami Khedira have all found themselves dropping down the list of best paid footballers in Italy.
Not far off the top 10 is AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who earns £5.4million-a-year, and Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly earns the same.
SERIE A TOP EARNERS
Cristiano Ronaldo – £28m
Matthijs de Ligt – £7.2m
Romelu Lukaku – £6.7m
Gonzalo Higuain – £6.7m
Paulo Dybala – £6.5m