The 20 highest-paid midfielders in the Premier League right now have been revealed (2024)

The midfield is arguably the most important area on a football pitch. As the saying goes, it's where matches are won and lost. Because of that, having some of the best players in the world operating in the engine room is of high priority for all top clubs.

As is always the case, to secure the best talent, teams will have to part with a substantial amount of money both to secure their services and retain them when other sides come knocking. With that in mind, these 20 midfield stars are the ones who have been able to line their pockets with the highest salaries of any other Premier League players in their position.

10 Enzo Fernandez

£180,000 p/w

After having a controversy-filled summer, Enzo Fernadez has returned to Chelsea, where he will go back to earning his cool £180,000 p/w salary. The Argentine found himself at the centre of a club investigation surrounding comments he made during his nation's Copa America victory celebration which contained racial undertones.

At club level, Fernandez has struggled to live up to the hefty fee that the west London side parted with to bring him in from Benfica. That said, he's been far from the worst of the bunch and his displays arguably warrant him being one of the highest earners at Stamford Bridge, even if his near £200k weekly wage does seem steep.

9 Thomas Partey

£200,000 p/w

Speaking of steep wages. The last couple of years have not been particularly kind to Thomas Partey. Once heralded as the monster in Arsenal's midfield, the Ghanian star's struggles with fitness have made him an unreliable commodity for Mikel Arteta to deal with.

The likes of Jorginho and Declan Rice have already unseated the former Atletico Madrid man from a starting spot in the team, and the potential arrival of Mikel Merino could impact that further. However, getting rid of an injury-prone 31-year-old on £200k-per-week may not be the easiest thing for the Gunners to do, so they may have to bite the bullet for a little while longer.

8 Rodri

£220,000 p/w

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One of the favourites to win the Ballon d'Or sits all the way down in eighth. If there was any justice, Rodri would be right at the top of this list. However, he suffers from the fact that defensive midfielders are usually not paid the big bucks quite like those who operate further up the pitch.

The 27-year-old has been imperative to every bit of success Manchester City have had ever since Fernandinho left the club. Without him, the Citizens look like a shell of the otherwise well-oiled machine they've resembled for many years now.

7 Martin Odegaard

£240,000 p/w

Arsenal's captain is one of three on this list to sit on a comfy wage of £240,000 p/w, and he is worth every penny. Martin Odegaard has gone from being a wonderkid touted for major success to one of the best midfielders in the world and the heartbeat of everything good at the Emirates Stadium.

Still only 25 years old, the Norwegian superstar has leadership skills beyond his years and is producing numbers that are among the very best in the Premier League. He will be aiming to build on the 22 goal contributions he managed in the 2023/24 campaign as he tries to guide Arsenal to their first league title in over 20 years.

6 Declan Rice

£240,000 p/w

Anchoring Odegaard for most of last season was Arsenal's new boy, Declan Rice. The Englishman had a lot to prove in his debut season at the club, as his critics watched and waited for the ex-West Ham captain to struggle with the demands of a title-challenging side.

Fortunately, Rice quickly proved the doubters wrong and settled in comfortably. Although it wasn't enough, his addition to the squad brought Arsenal one step closer to achieving their ultimate goal. After the disappointment of failing to do so and the Euro 2024 final defeat, the former Hammer will be hungrier than ever to get his hands on some silverware this time around.

5 Bruno Fernandes

£240,000 p/w

For all his naysayers, no one comes close to touching Bruno Fernandes when choosing the best signing for Manchester United post-Sir Alex Ferguson. The Portuguese international has been an inspirational figure in times of despair at Old Trafford, even if some of his antics and shouting detract from his game.

Make no mistake though, when it comes to creating chances and converting them, very few have a record like the former Sporting Lisbon star ever since he stepped foot in the division in 2020. Having lifted his first trophy as the official skipper of the Red Devils last season, Fernandes will be hoping to challenge for more in the new INEOS era.

4 Mason Mount

£250,000 p/w

While Fernandes has been an undoubted success, the same cannot yet be said of Mason Mount. With just a year left on his Chelsea contract, the Red Devils hierarchy still opted to part ways with the better part of £60m to bring the Englishman to Old Trafford.

An energetic and talented player, injuries have been the story of Mount's career at the club so far. He made just 20 appearances in his debut season, averaging as little as 37 minutes a game. An impressive start to pre-season. however, has given some fans hope of a turnaround.

3 Bernardo Silva

£300,000 p/w

It feels as though the story of Bernardo Silva's Manchester City career is one that always feels like it's approaching its final chapter. Interest in years gone by from teams like Barcelona have made it seem all but certain the Portugal man would be on his way out, yet he has remained a constant presence at the Etihad.

The skillful attack-minded midfielder is different to many of the other stars who ply their trade in similar areas of the pitch at the Etihad, which is exactly why Pep Guardiola continues to trust him more than anyone else. A 300k-per-week salary is more than enough proof of that.

2 Casemiro

£350,000 p/w

After his debut season at United, not many would've batted an eyelid at Casemiro's £350k-per-week wage. Perhaps it was on the high side for someone approaching the latter stages of his career, but the Brazilian showed exactly why he was revered as one of the best holding midfielders in the world when he first arrived.

His drop-off over the 12 months that followed was startling. His legs appear to have deceived him as he struggled to keep up with the tempo of the Premier League. With it seemingly increasingly likely that he has at least one more season at Old Trafford, an even more unlikely renaissance will be necessary for him to be worth his current salary.

1 Kevin De Bruyne

£400,000 p/w

For the longest time now, Kevin De Bruyne has been the standard-bearer for all midfielders that come into the Premier League. In fact, there is an argument to say that he is the greatest to have ever played the role that English football has ever witnessed.

The Belgian has been nothing short of world-class since he began his Chelsea redemption story after moving to the North-West in 2015. While last year was marred by injury, he still came back and put up some phenomenal numbers on his way to yet another league title. His quality over the years makes him more than deserving of being the top earner, not just in midfield, but in the entire Premier League.