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To find out the true cost of goals and defensive contributions, OLBG has analysed the true price of Premier League players’ performances, revealing which stars provide the best value for money — and which are costing their clubs the most.
We’ve broken down the cost per goal involvement (goals and assists) by comparing transfer fees and annual salaries to on-pitch contributions. By dividing a player’s transfer fee and wages by their goals and assists, we’ve uncovered who delivers the most for their price tag and who earns the most per contribution.
Beyond attacking players, we’ve also assessed defenders and goalkeepers, shifting the focus to clean sheets instead of goal contributions, highlighting the cost-effectiveness of those tasked with keeping the ball out of the net.
Whether you're exploring football sites for the latest insights, checking betting sites for the best value picks, or using betting apps to track football stats, this analysis reveals which players truly justify their price tag.
The best-value attacking players - Ollie Watkins dominates the rankings
First, we’ve examined the 50 highest-earning attacking players of the 2023/24 season and calculated their pay per goal contribution.
Lowest earnings per goal contribution
1. Ollie Watkins – Aston Villa
Estimated annual wages: £6,760,000
Goals and assists: 32
Estimated earnings per goal and assist: £211,250
Ollie Watkins has been the most cost-effective attacking player in the league when considering salary versus goal contributions. With 19 goals and 13 assists, he delivered exceptional value for Aston Villa last season. His exploits also saw him win the Premier League Playmaker of the Season award.
2. Alexander Isak – Newcastle United
Estimated annual wages: £6,240,000
Goals and assists: 23
Estimated earnings per goal and assist: £271,304
Isak justified his wages with an impressive 21-goal season, adding two assists to his tally, ending the season as Newcastle’s top scorer, behind only Erling Haaland and Cole Palmer in the league. His efficiency in front of goal has made him one of the Premier League’s best-performing strikers relative to earnings.
3. Julián Álvarez – Manchester City / Leon Bailey – Aston Villa
Estimated annual wages: £5,200,000
Goals and assists: 19
Estimated earnings per goal and assist: £273,684
Both Julián Álvarez and Leon Bailey provided a strong return on investment for their clubs. Álvarez was a versatile attacking threat for City in 2023/2024 before he left for pastures new at Atlético Madrid, while Bailey stepped up in helping Aston Villa qualify for the Champions League, ensuring both players are among the best value attackers in the league.
| Rank | Player | Nation | Team | Estimated annual wages | Goals | Assists | Goals & assists | Estimated earnings per goal or assist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ollie Watkins | England | Aston Villa | £6,760,000 | 19 | 13 | 32 | £211,250 |
| 2 | Alexander Isak | Sweden | Newcastle United | £6,240,000 | 21 | 2 | 23 | £271,304 |
| 3 | Julián Álvarez | Argentina | Manchester City | £5,200,000 | 11 | 8 | 19 | £273,684 |
| 3 | Leon Bailey | Jamaica | Aston Villa | £5,200,000 | 10 | 9 | 19 | £273,684 |
| 5 | Jarrod Bowen | England | West Ham United | £6,240,000 | 16 | 6 | 22 | £283,636 |
| 6 | Michael Olise | France | Crystal Palace | £5,200,000 | 10 | 6 | 16 | £325,000 |
| 7 | Mohammed Kudus | Ghana | West Ham United | £4,680,000 | 8 | 6 | 14 | £334,286 |
| 8 | Eberechi Eze | England | Crystal Palace | £5,200,000 | 11 | 4 | 15 | £346,667 |
| 9 | Son Heung-min | South Korea | Tottenham Hotspur | £9,880,000 | 17 | 10 | 27 | £365,926 |
| 10 | Darwin Núñez | Uruguay | Liverpool | £7,280,000 | 11 | 8 | 19 | £383,158 |
| 11 | Bukayo Saka | England | Arsenal | £10,140,000 | 16 | 9 | 25 | £405,600 |
| 12 | James Ward-Prowse | England | West Ham United | £5,980,000 | 7 | 7 | 14 | £427,143 |
| 13 | Phil Foden | England | Manchester City | £11,700,000 | 19 | 8 | 27 | £433,333 |
| 14 | Cody Gakpo | Netherlands | Liverpool | £6,240,000 | 8 | 5 | 13 | £480,000 |
| 15 | Moussa Diaby | France | Aston Villa | £6,760,000 | 6 | 8 | 14 | £482,857 |
| 16 | Dejan Kulusevski | Sweden | Tottenham Hotspur | £5,720,000 | 8 | 3 | 11 | £520,000 |
| 17 | Diogo Jota | Portugal | Liverpool | £7,280,000 | 10 | 3 | 13 | £560,000 |
| 18 | Dominic Calvert-Lewin | England | Everton | £5,200,000 | 7 | 2 | 9 | £577,778 |
| 19 | Erling Haaland | Norway | Manchester City | £19,500,000 | 27 | 5 | 32 | £609,375 |
| 20 | John McGinn | Scotland | Aston Villa | £6,240,000 | 6 | 4 | 10 | £624,000 |
| 21 | Mohamed Salah | Egypt | Liverpool | £18,200,000 | 18 | 10 | 28 | £650,000 |
| 22 | Odsonne Édouard | France | Crystal Palace | £4,680,000 | 7 | 0 | 7 | £668,571 |
| 23 | James Maddison | England | Tottenham Hotspur | £8,840,000 | 4 | 9 | 13 | £680,000 |
| 24 | Bruno Fernandes | Portugal | Manchester United | £12,480,000 | 10 | 8 | 18 | £693,333 |
| 24 | Martin Ødegaard | Norway | Arsenal | £12,480,000 | 8 | 10 | 18 | £693,333 |
| 26 | Kai Havertz | Germany | Arsenal | £14,560,000 | 13 | 7 | 20 | £728,000 |
| 27 | Raúl Jiménez | Mexico | Fulham | £5,200,000 | 7 | 0 | 7 | £742,857 |
| 27 | Mykhailo Mudryk | Ukraine | Chelsea | £5,200,000 | 5 | 2 | 7 | £742,857 |
| 27 | Eddie Nketiah | England | Arsenal | £5,200,000 | 5 | 2 | 7 | £742,857 |
| 30 | Lucas Paquetá | Brazil | West Ham United | £7,800,000 | 4 | 6 | 10 | £780,000 |
| 30 | Jack Harrison | England | Everton | £4,680,000 | 3 | 3 | 6 | £780,000 |
| 32 | Abdoulaye Doucouré | Mali | Everton | £6,760,000 | 7 | 1 | 8 | £845,000 |
| 33 | Gabriel Martinelli | Brazil | Arsenal | £9,360,000 | 6 | 4 | 10 | £936,000 |
| 34 | Youri Tielemans | Belgium | Aston Villa | £7,800,000 | 2 | 6 | 8 | £975,000 |
| 35 | Bernardo Silva | Portugal | Manchester City | £15,600,000 | 6 | 9 | 15 | £1,040,000 |
| 36 | Dominik Szoboszlai | Hungary | Liverpool | £6,240,000 | 3 | 2 | 5 | £1,248,000 |
| 37 | Raheem Sterling | England | Chelsea | £16,900,000 | 8 | 4 | 12 | £1,408,333 |
| 38 | Kevin De Bruyne | Belgium | Manchester City | £20,800,000 | 4 | 10 | 14 | £1,485,714 |
| 39 | Gabriel Jesus | Brazil | Arsenal | £13,780,000 | 4 | 5 | 9 | £1,531,111 |
| 40 | Timo Werner | Germany | Tottenham Hotspur | £8,580,000 | 2 | 3 | 5 | £1,716,000 |
| 41 | Marcus Rashford | England | Manchester United | £15,600,000 | 7 | 2 | 9 | £1,733,333 |
| 42 | Carney Chukwuemeka | England | Chelsea | £5,200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2 | £2,600,000 |
| 42 | Amadou Onana | Belgium | Everton | £5,200,000 | 2 | 0 | 2 | £2,600,000 |
| 44 | Christopher Nkunku | France | Chelsea | £10,140,000 | 3 | 0 | 3 | £3,380,000 |
| 45 | Jack Grealish | England | Manchester City | £15,600,000 | 3 | 1 | 4 | £3,900,000 |
| 46 | Antony | Brazil | Manchester United | £10,400,000 | 1 | 1 | 2 | £5,200,000 |
| 47 | Danny Ings | England | West Ham United | £6,500,000 | 1 | 0 | 1 | £6,500,000 |
| 48 | Anthony Martial | France | Manchester United | £13,000,000 | 1 | 0 | 1 | £13,000,000 |
| 48 | Mason Mount | England | Manchester United | £13,000,000 | 1 | 0 | 1 | £13,000,000 |
| 50 | Reiss Nelson | England | Arsenal | £5,200,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
Lowest transfer cost per goal contribution
Ollie Watkins again stands out as the most efficient when it comes to the transfer fee paid per goal contribution.
1. Ollie Watkins – Aston Villa
Estimated transfer fee: £28.1m
Goals and assists: 32
Estimated cost per goal and assist: £0.88m
Once again, Ollie Watkins is the most efficient attacker, delivering 19 goals and 13 assists for an estimated transfer fee of £28.1 million, making him an incredible value signing for Aston Villa and a key reason for their attacking success. 2024 was also a big season for Watkins at international level, representing England at UEFA Euro 2024 and scoring the winning goal in the 90th minute of the semi-final against the Netherlands to send England to the final.
2. Son Heung-min – Tottenham Hotspur
Estimated transfer fee: £24.8m
Goals and assists: 27
Estimated cost per goal and assist: £0.92m
A consistent performer for Spurs, Son Heung-min once again proved his attacking prowess with 17 goals and 10 assists. His low transfer cost compared to others on the list makes him one of the most cost-effective attacking players in the league. Son was also made club captain at the start of the 2023/2024 season and is the highest-scoring Asian player in Premier League history.
3. Cole Palmer – Chelsea
Estimated transfer fee: £38.9m
Goals and assists: 33
Estimated cost per goal and assist: £1.18m
Cole Palmer has been a revelation for Chelsea, making an immediate impact in his first full season with the club. With 22 goals and 11 assists, he has outperformed expectations, and while his cost per goal involvement is slightly higher than Watkins and Son, his influence on Chelsea’s attack has been immense. Following this breakout season, he picked up several awards, including the PFA Fans' Player of the Year and the Young Player of the Year.
| Rank | Player | Joined | Nation | Estimated transfer fee* | Goals | Assists | Goals & assists | Estimated cost per goal or assist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ollie Watkins | Aston Villa | England | £28.1m | 19 | 13 | 32 | £0.88m |
| 2 | Son Heung-min | Tottenham Hotspur | South Korea | £24.8m | 17 | 10 | 27 | £0.92m |
| 3 | Cole Palmer | Chelsea | England | £38.9m | 22 | 11 | 33 | £1.18m |
| 4 | Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | Egypt | £34.8m | 18 | 10 | 28 | £1.24m |
| 5 | Leon Bailey | Aston Villa | Jamaica | £26.5m | 10 | 9 | 19 | £1.39m |
| 6 | Erling Haaland | Manchester City | Norway | £49.7m | 27 | 5 | 32 | £1.55m |
| 7 | Martin Ødegaard | Arsenal | Norway | £29.0m | 8 | 10 | 18 | £1.61m |
| 7 | Nicolas Jackson | Chelsea | Senegal | £30.6m | 14 | 5 | 19 | £1.61m |
| 9 | Morgan Gibbs-White | Nottingham Forest | England | £24.4m | 5 | 10 | 15 | £1.63m |
| 10 | Anthony Gordon | Newcastle United | England | £37.7m | 11 | 10 | 21 | £1.80m |
| 11 | James Ward-Prowse | West Ham United | England | £28.8m | 7 | 7 | 14 | £2.06m |
| 12 | Dejan Kulusevski | Tottenham Hotspur | Sweden | £24.8m | 8 | 3 | 11 | £2.26m |
| 13 | João Pedro | Brighton | Brazil | £28.3m | 9 | 3 | 12 | £2.36m |
| 14 | Alexander Isak | Newcastle United | Sweden | £57.9m | 21 | 2 | 23 | £2.52m |
| 15 | Mohammed Kudus | West Ham United | Ghana | £35.6m | 8 | 6 | 14 | £2.54m |
| 16 | Cody Gakpo | Liverpool | Netherlands | £34.8m | 8 | 5 | 13 | £2.67m |
| 17 | Bernardo Silva | Manchester City | Portugal | £41.4m | 6 | 9 | 15 | £2.76m |
| 18 | Diogo Jota | Liverpool | Portugal | £37.0m | 10 | 3 | 13 | £2.85m |
| 19 | James Maddison | Tottenham Hotspur | England | £38.3m | 4 | 9 | 13 | £2.95m |
| 20 | Bruno Fernandes | Manchester United | Portugal | £53.8m | 10 | 8 | 18 | £2.99m |
| 21 | Brennan Johnson | Tottenham Hotspur | Wales | £45.5m | 5 | 10 | 15 | £3.03m |
| 22 | Alex Iwobi | Fulham | Nigeria | £21.3m | 5 | 2 | 7 | £3.04m |
| 23 | Kai Havertz | Arsenal | Germany | £62.1m | 13 | 7 | 20 | £3.10m |
| 24 | Richarlison | Tottenham Hotspur | Brazil | £48.0m | 11 | 4 | 15 | £3.20m |
| 25 | Moussa Diaby | Aston Villa | France | £45.5m | 6 | 8 | 14 | £3.25m |
| 26 | Luis Díaz | Liverpool | Colombia | £43.9m | 8 | 5 | 13 | £3.37m |
| 27 | Lucas Paquetá | West Ham United | Brazil | £35.6m | 4 | 6 | 10 | £3.56m |
| 28 | Darwin Núñez | Liverpool | Uruguay | £70.4m | 11 | 8 | 19 | £3.70m |
| 29 | Raheem Sterling | Chelsea | England | £46.5m | 8 | 4 | 12 | £3.88m |
| 30 | Noni Madueke | Chelsea | England | £29.0m | 5 | 2 | 7 | £4.14m |
| 31 | Kevin De Bruyne | Manchester City | Belgium | £62.9m | 4 | 10 | 14 | £4.49m |
| 32 | Jérémy Doku | Manchester City | Belgium | £49.7m | 3 | 8 | 11 | £4.51m |
| 33 | Harvey Barnes | Newcastle United | England | £36.4m | 5 | 3 | 8 | £4.55m |
| 34 | Gabriel Jesus | Arsenal | Brazil | £43.2m | 4 | 5 | 9 | £4.80m |
| 35 | Jhon Durán | Aston Villa | Colombia | £24.4m | 5 | 0 | 5 | £4.88m |
| 36 | Rasmus Højlund | Manchester United | Denmark | £61.2m | 10 | 2 | 12 | £5.10m |
| 37 | Giovani Lo Celso | Tottenham Hotspur | Argentina | £26.5m | 2 | 2 | 4 | £6.62m |
| 38 | Kevin Schade | Brentford | Germany | £20.7m | 2 | 1 | 3 | £6.90m |
| 39 | Fábio Vieira | Arsenal | Portugal | £29.0m | 1 | 2 | 3 | £9.66m |
| 40 | Dominik Szoboszlai | Liverpool | Hungary | £57.9m | 3 | 2 | 5 | £11.59m |
| 41 | Joelinton | Newcastle United | Brazil | £36.0m | 2 | 1 | 3 | £12.00m |
| 42 | Christopher Nkunku | Chelsea | France | £49.7m | 3 | 0 | 3 | £16.55m |
| 43 | Jack Grealish | Manchester City | England | £97.3m | 3 | 1 | 4 | £24.31m |
| 44 | Joe Willock | Newcastle United | England | £24.3m | 1 | 0 | 1 | £24.34m |
| 45 | Antony | Manchester United | Brazil | £78.6m | 1 | 1 | 2 | £39.32m |
| 46 | Mason Mount | Manchester United | England | £53.1m | 1 | 0 | 1 | £53.14m |
| 47 | Rhian Brewster | Sheff Utd | England | £21.5m | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 47 | Pablo Fornals | West Ham United | Spain | £23.2m | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 47 | Emiliano Buendía | Aston Villa | Argentina | £31.8m | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 47 | Mykhailo Mudryk | Chelsea | Ukraine | £57.9m | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
The best-value defensive players - Arsenal’s backline shows their efficiency
When looking at defenders and goalkeepers, we compared earnings and transfer fees against the number of clean sheets that players contributed to for their teams.
Lowest earnings per clean sheet
1. Ben White – Arsenal
Estimated annual wages: £6,240,000
Clean sheets: 13
Estimated earnings per clean sheet: £480,000
Ben White was one of Arsenal’s most reliable defenders last season, contributing to 13 clean sheets while being a key part of their backline. His wage-to-performance ratio makes him the most cost-effective defensive player in the Premier League. He became the club’s most expensive defender when he signed for around £50 million, but his adaptability and defensive solidity have justified the investment.
2. Jordan Pickford – Everton
Estimated annual wages: £6,500,000
Clean sheets: 13
Estimated earnings per clean sheet: £500,000
As Everton’s No. 1 goalkeeper, Pickford delivered 13 clean sheets while playing a crucial role in keeping the team defensively solid. Earning an estimated £6.5 million, each clean sheet he kept for the club was worth £500,000. He was also named Everton’s Player of the Season for the third year in a row.
3. Ederson – Manchester City
Estimated annual wages: £5,200,000
Clean sheets: 10
Estimated earnings per clean sheet: £520,000
Manchester City’s shot-stopper kept ten clean sheets while playing a crucial role in the club’s title ambitions. He’s made over 300 appearances for City since joining and has had great success, including six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, three EFL Cups and the Champions League.
| Rank | Player | Nation | Team | Estimated annual wages | Clean sheets | Estimated earnings per clean sheet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ben White | England | Arsenal | £6,240,000 | 13 | £480,000 |
| 2 | Jordan Pickford | England | Everton | £6,500,000 | 13 | £500,000 |
| 3 | Ederson | Brazil | Manchester City | £5,200,000 | 10 | £520,000 |
| 4 | William Saliba | France | Arsenal | £9,880,000 | 18 | £548,889 |
| 5 | Bernd Leno | Germany | Fulham | £6,760,000 | 10 | £676,000 |
| 6 | André Onana | Cameroon | Manchester United | £6,240,000 | 9 | £693,333 |
| 7 | Emiliano Martínez | Argentina | Aston Villa | £6,240,000 | 8 | £780,000 |
| 8 | Manuel Akanji | Switzerland | Manchester City | £9,360,000 | 11 | £850,909 |
| 9 | Thiago Silva | Brazil | Chelsea | £5,720,000 | 6 | £953,333 |
| 10 | Alisson | Brazil | Liverpool | £7,800,000 | 8 | £975,000 |
| 11 | Diego Carlos | Brazil | Aston Villa | £5,200,000 | 5 | £1,040,000 |
| 11 | Rodri | Spain | Manchester City | £11,440,000 | 11 | £1,040,000 |
| 11 | Rúben Dias | Portugal | Manchester City | £9,360,000 | 9 | £1,040,000 |
| 14 | Declan Rice | England | Arsenal | £12,480,000 | 11 | £1,134,545 |
| 15 | Joško Gvardiol | Croatia | Manchester City | £10,400,000 | 9 | £1,155,556 |
| 16 | Bruno Guimarães | Brazil | Newcastle United | £8,320,000 | 7 | £1,188,571 |
| 17 | Cristian Romero | Argentina | Tottenham Hotspur | £8,580,000 | 7 | £1,225,714 |
| 18 | Virgil van Dijk | Netherlands | Liverpool | £11,440,000 | 9 | £1,271,111 |
| 19 | Moisés Caicedo | Ecuador | Chelsea | £7,800,000 | 6 | £1,300,000 |
| 19 | Levi Colwill | England | Chelsea | £5,200,000 | 4 | £1,300,000 |
| 21 | Kyle Walker | England | Manchester City | £9,100,000 | 6 | £1,516,667 |
| 22 | Kieran Trippier | England | Newcastle United | £6,240,000 | 4 | £1,560,000 |
| 22 | Alphonse Areola | France | West Ham United | £6,240,000 | 4 | £1,560,000 |
| 22 | Victor Lindelöf | Sweden | Manchester United | £6,240,000 | 4 | £1,560,000 |
| 25 | Nathan Aké | Netherlands | Manchester City | £8,320,000 | 5 | £1,664,000 |
| 26 | Edson Álvarez | Mexico | West Ham United | £5,200,000 | 3 | £1,733,333 |
| 27 | Alexis Mac Allister | Argentina | Liverpool | £7,800,000 | 4 | £1,950,000 |
| 27 | Boubacar Kamara | France | Aston Villa | £7,800,000 | 4 | £1,950,000 |
| 29 | Lucas Digne | France | Aston Villa | £6,240,000 | 3 | £2,080,000 |
| 30 | Kurt Zouma | France | West Ham United | £6,500,000 | 3 | £2,166,667 |
| 31 | Marc Cucurella | Spain | Chelsea | £9,100,000 | 4 | £2,275,000 |
| 32 | Trent Alexander-Arnold | England | Liverpool | £9,360,000 | 4 | £2,340,000 |
| 33 | Harry Maguire | England | Manchester United | £9,880,000 | 4 | £2,470,000 |
| 34 | Mateo Kovačić | Croatia | Manchester City | £7,800,000 | 3 | £2,600,000 |
| 34 | Oleksandr Zinchenko | Ukraine | Arsenal | £7,800,000 | 3 | £2,600,000 |
| 34 | Ryan Gravenberch | Netherlands | Liverpool | £7,800,000 | 3 | £2,600,000 |
| 37 | Aaron Ramsdale | England | Arsenal | £6,240,000 | 2 | £3,120,000 |
| 38 | John Stones | England | Manchester City | £13,000,000 | 4 | £3,250,000 |
| 39 | Casemiro | Brazil | Manchester United | £18,200,000 | 5 | £3,640,000 |
| 40 | Luke Shaw | England | Manchester United | £7,800,000 | 2 | £3,900,000 |
| 40 | Clément Lenglet | France | Aston Villa | £7,800,000 | 2 | £3,900,000 |
| 42 | Enzo Fernández | Argentina | Chelsea | £9,360,000 | 2 | £4,680,000 |
| 43 | Thomas Partey | Ghana | Arsenal | £10,400,000 | 2 | £5,200,000 |
| 44 | Jorginho | Italy | Arsenal | £5,720,000 | 1 | £5,720,000 |
| 45 | Raphaël Varane | France | Manchester United | £17,680,000 | 3 | £5,893,333 |
| 46 | Lisandro Martínez | Argentina | Manchester United | £6,240,000 | 0 | N/A |
| 46 | Christian Eriksen | Denmark | Manchester United | £7,800,000 | 0 | N/A |
| 46 | Ben Chilwell | England | Chelsea | £10,400,000 | 0 | N/A |
| 46 | Thiago Alcántara | Spain | Liverpool | £10,400,000 | 0 | N/A |
| 46 | Reece James | England | Chelsea | £13,000,000 | 0 | N/A |
Lowest transfer cost per clean sheet
Looking at the defensive players with the lowest transfer fee per clean sheet, Arsenal stand out as the most efficient, with two players in the top five.
1. William Saliba – Arsenal
Estimated transfer fee: £24.85m
Clean sheets: 18
Cost per clean sheet: £1.38m
William Saliba proved to be a defensive rock for Arsenal, offering incredible value with his ability to keep opponents at bay. With 18 clean sheets, he delivered the best cost-efficiency, making him one of the brightest defensive investments in the Premier League. Saliba played every minute of the Gunners’ Premier League campaign, and the club conceded just 29 goals during the entire season.
2. Ederson – Manchester City
Estimated transfer fee: £33.13m
Clean sheets: 10
Cost per clean sheet: £3.31m
Manchester City's long-time No. 1, Ederson, continues to justify his price tag with consistent shot-stopping performances. His 10 clean sheets played a crucial role in City’s title challenge, and while his cost per clean sheet is higher than Saliba’s, his presence in goal is still invaluable to City.
3. Ben White – Arsenal
Estimated transfer fee: £48.46m
Clean sheets: 13
Cost per clean sheet: £3.73m
Ben White has become a key figure in Arsenal’s defensive setup. He excels as a right-back and a centre-back when needed, contributing to 13 clean sheets. He also signed a new four-year contract to keep him at the club until June 2028.
| Rank | Player | Joined | Nation | Estimated transfer fee* | Clean sheets | Cost per clean sheet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William Saliba | Arsenal | France | £24.85m | 18 | £1.38m |
| 2 | Ederson | Manchester City | Brazil | £33.13m | 10 | £3.31m |
| 3 | Ben White | Arsenal | England | £48.46m | 13 | £3.73m |
| 4 | André Onana | Manchester United | Cameroon | £41.58m | 9 | £4.62m |
| 5 | Bruno Guimarães | Newcastle United | Brazil | £34.87m | 7 | £4.98m |
| 6 | Diego Carlos | Aston Villa | Brazil | £25.68m | 5 | £5.14m |
| 7 | Rodri | Manchester City | Spain | £57.98m | 11 | £5.27m |
| 8 | Cristian Romero | Tottenham Hotspur | Argentina | £43.07m | 7 | £6.15m |
| 9 | Alisson | Liverpool | Brazil | £51.77m | 8 | £6.47m |
| 10 | Rúben Dias | Manchester City | Portugal | £59.31m | 9 | £6.59m |
| 11 | Amadou Onana | Everton | Belgium | £33.02m | 5 | £6.60m |
| 12 | Ibrahima Konaté | Liverpool | France | £33.13m | 5 | £6.63m |
| 12 | Micky van de Ven | Tottenham Hotspur | Netherlands | £33.13m | 5 | £6.63m |
| 12 | Pedro Porro | Tottenham Hotspur | Spain | £33.13m | 5 | £6.63m |
| 12 | Nélson Semedo | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Portugal | £26.51m | 4 | £6.63m |
| 16 | Victor Lindelöf | Manchester United | Sweden | £28.99m | 4 | £7.25m |
| 17 | Kyle Walker | Manchester City | England | £43.65m | 6 | £7.28m |
| 18 | Axel Disasi | Chelsea | France | £37.27m | 5 | £7.45m |
| 19 | Nathan Aké | Manchester City | Netherlands | £37.52m | 5 | £7.50m |
| 20 | Virgil van Dijk | Liverpool | Netherlands | £70.12m | 9 | £7.79m |
| 21 | Mateo Kovačić | Manchester City | Croatia | £24.10m | 3 | £8.03m |
| 22 | Joško Gvardiol | Manchester City | Croatia | £74.55m | 9 | £8.28m |
| 23 | Alexis Mac Allister | Liverpool | Argentina | £34.79m | 4 | £8.70m |
| 24 | Declan Rice | Arsenal | England | £96.58m | 11 | £8.78m |
| 25 | Oleksandr Zinchenko | Arsenal | Ukraine | £28.99m | 3 | £9.66m |
| 25 | Kurt Zouma | West Ham United | France | £28.99m | 3 | £9.66m |
| 27 | Sven Botman | Newcastle United | Netherlands | £30.65m | 3 | £10.22m |
| 28 | Benoît Badiashile | Chelsea | France | £31.48m | 3 | £10.49m |
| 28 | Edson Álvarez | West Ham United | Mexico | £31.48m | 3 | £10.49m |
| 30 | Raphaël Varane | Manchester United | France | £33.13m | 3 | £11.04m |
| 30 | Ryan Gravenberch | Liverpool | Netherlands | £33.13m | 3 | £11.04m |
| 32 | John Stones | Manchester City | England | £46.05m | 4 | £11.51m |
| 33 | Casemiro | Manchester United | Brazil | £58.52m | 5 | £11.70m |
| 34 | Yves Bissouma | Tottenham Hotspur | Mali | £24.19m | 2 | £12.09m |
| 35 | Marc Cucurella | Chelsea | Spain | £54.09m | 4 | £13.52m |
| 36 | Nayef Aguerd | West Ham United | Morocco | £28.99m | 2 | £14.50m |
| 37 | Aaron Wan-Bissaka | Manchester United | England | £45.56m | 3 | £15.19m |
| 38 | Luke Shaw | Manchester United | England | £31.06m | 2 | £15.53m |
| 39 | Moisés Caicedo | Chelsea | Ecuador | £96.08m | 6 | £16.01m |
| 40 | Harry Maguire | Manchester United | England | £72.06m | 4 | £18.02m |
| 41 | Thomas Partey | Arsenal | Ghana | £41.41m | 2 | £20.71m |
| 42 | Ibrahim Sangaré | Nottingham Forest | Ivory Coast | £28.99m | 1 | £28.99m |
| 43 | Tino Livramento | Newcastle United | England | £30.81m | 1 | £30.81m |
| 44 | Enzo Fernández | Chelsea | Argentina | £100.22m | 2 | £50.11m |
| 45 | Jurrien Timber | Arsenal | Netherlands | £33.13m | 0 | N/A |
| 45 | Ben Chilwell | Chelsea | England | £41.58m | 0 | N/A |
| 45 | Lisandro Martínez | Manchester United | Argentina | £47.52m | 0 | N/A |
| 45 | Sandro Tonali | Newcastle United | Italy | £48.79m | 0 | N/A |
| 45 | Roméo Lavia | Chelsea | Belgium | £51.44m | 0 | N/A |
| 45 | Wesley Fofana | Chelsea | France | £66.60m | 0 | N/A |
Methodology
First, we used FBref to find the 50 highest-earning attacking and defensive players in the
2023/24 Premier League season. Any players who could be classified as both attacking and defensive (like central midfielders) were categorised based on whether they played more matches in attacking or defensive roles during the season.
Then, using Transfermarkt, we also found the 50 attacking and defensive players who were bought for the highest transfer fees during the 2023/24 Premier League season. Transfer fees were converted from euros to pounds using XE.
For both sections, players who were only on loan during the 2023/24 season or who left or joined their club mid-way through the season were excluded.
The number of goal contributions (goals and assists) for attacking players was sourced from FBref, and the number of clean sheets for defensive players was sourced from the Premier League.
The earnings and transfer fee per goal contribution or clean sheet were then calculated for each player.
