Comparing Tottenham Hotspur’s Wages: Spurs vs. the Big Five

Tottenham Hotspur Wages – Club plans to restructure system.

Tottenham owners are finally waking up to something supporters have known for years: the club cannot compete at the top end of the Premier League while paying mid-table wages. Reports that the Lewis Family Trust plan to rip up the current wage structure if Spurs stay in the division feel long overdue, especially after a season where the team has drifted dangerously close to the relegation zone. [h/t The Guardian]

Tottenham’s problems are not only tactical or injury-related. The financial structure around the squad has quietly held the club back for years, and it is no coincidence that the team with the lowest wage bill among the so-called Big Six now finds itself fighting to stay in the league.

The North London comparison is particularly brutal. Arsenal operate in the same city, compete for the same players and chase the same targets, yet the difference in wages reflects the difference in ambition. Arsenal currently have seven players earning at least £200,000 per week, with Bukayo Saka understood to be earning just over £300,000. Tottenham, by contrast, have only one player at that level. Conor Gallagher’s £200,000 weekly contract made him the club’s highest-paid player the moment he arrived, with Cristian Romero and Xavi Simons just below that mark. When a club competing with Arsenal cannot even match their pay structure at the top end, the gap in league position starts to make sense.

Gotta become Tott£nham!

Tottenham’s structure is putting it across as a club that hopes to punch above its weight without actually paying for it. That gap has shown up not only in results but also in recruitment, where Spurs have repeatedly lost out on top targets to rivals willing to offer stronger contracts and clearer sporting projects.

Chelsea provide another comparison point, although their approach has been very different. Even with a more controlled structure under the current ownership, Chelsea still pay players like Reece James around £250,000 a week and remain capable of offering contracts Tottenham simply cannot match. Spurs might run a tighter operation financially, but modern football does not care for frugality when it comes to player salaries. The reality is that elite players expect elite wages, and Tottenham have often struggled to meet that expectation.

Across the rest of the league, the gap is even more obvious. Manchester City and Manchester United routinely pay multiple players over £200,000 per week, while Liverpool’s top earners, such as Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, are among the highest-paid players in English football. Even Aston Villa now operate with a higher overall wage bill than Tottenham. They are competing in Europe on a regular basis. It all adds up.

The biggest irony is that Tottenham have the infrastructure of a modern superclub. The stadium generates huge matchday revenue, and commercial income remains strong, yet the investment into the playing squad has lagged behind. For years the explanation centred around stadium debt and financial caution under Daniel Levy, but he’s gone now. There HAS to be some bit of correlation between underpaying and the club underperforming. If Tottenham survive this season, restructuring the wage model will be essential rather than optional.