Your data guide to football betting, Dan Tracey shows you where the numbers point before the market catches up.
When in football circles, the topic of value for money is one that often comes to the forefront and although there are many different ways to measure value, it can be a rather subjective topic at even the best of times.
For example, a Premier League striker can only really be measured in terms of value, by the goals he scores or an attacking midfielder by the number of assists he creates for his teammates. However, these two calculations are very much on output alone and therefore, they may penalise a defender or goalkeeper.
Because for positions further back down the playing field, it is more about what you stop from happening rather than what you achieve and with some of their actions being unquantifiable due to good positioning, the measure of value can be difficult to obtain.
Thankfully, we have now created a metric that is far more universal and after another deep dive of data, we can establish how much a player has been paid this season for every Premier League minute that they have played.
Whether the salary is eye-watering or a mere pittance in comparison, we can combine wage and playing data to get a better gauge of value and with the numbers now crunched, here is what we can offer in terms of analysis.
Minutes and wage data are correct as of August 14th 2025.
THE BIGGEST EARNERS
To get an idea of the data we are working with, we can first look at the 10 highest earners in our data sample.
| Player | Squad | Annual Salary | Salary | Season Salary | Min | Earnings Per Minute |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin De Bruyne | Manchester City | £20,800,000 | £400,000 | £15,200,000 | 1,702 | £8,931 |
| Erling Haaland | Manchester City | £19,500,000 | £375,000 | £14,250,000 | 2,736 | £5,208 |
| Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | £18,200,000 | £350,000 | £13,300,000 | 3,371 | £3,945 |
| Casemiro | Manchester Utd | £18,200,000 | £350,000 | £13,300,000 | 1,494 | £8,902 |
| Bruno Fernandes | Manchester Utd | £15,600,000 | £300,000 | £11,400,000 | 3,018 | £3,777 |
| Bernardo Silva | Manchester City | £15,600,000 | £300,000 | £11,400,000 | 2,670 | £4,270 |
| Marcus Rashford | Manchester Utd | £15,600,000 | £300,000 | £11,400,000 | 978 | £11,656 |
| Jack Grealish | Manchester City | £15,600,000 | £300,000 | £11,400,000 | 721 | £15,811 |
| Marcus Rashford | Aston Villa | £15,600,000 | £300,000 | £11,400,000 | 444 | £25,676 |
| Omar Marmoush | Manchester City | £15,340,000 | £295,000 | £11,210,000 | 1,175 | £9,540 |
When it comes to earnings across the length of the 2024/25 season, it is Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne who tops the pile.
Kevin De Bruyne // shutterstock
De Bruyne earns £400k a week and amassed no less than £15.2m across the season as a whole. The Belgian may have been hampered by injury in what was his final campaign at the club and had he played more minutes, Manchester City would have extracted far greater value.
When looking at this from a per minute perspective, the City midfielder earned £8,931 in the season past and his teammate and second-highest earning in the Premier League Erling Haaland earned £5,208 by comparison.
The top 10 comprises players from five clubs, the aforementioned City, their Manchester rivals United (although Marcus Rashford is also listed for his loan move to Aston Villa) and Liverpool. The latter have just a single representative when it comes to top earners and the man earning the big bucks at Anfield is none other than Mohamed Salah.
Mohamed Salah with Sadio Mane // Alamy
The Egyptian king earned £13.3m across the 2024/25 Premier League season and with no less than 3,371 minutes under his belt, he would go on to earn £3,945 for each one played.
Top of the earning shop at Old Trafford was Casemiro, as the Brazilian midfielder also earned £13.3m last season and the former Real Madrid star was afforded 1,494 minutes across last season and this was worth £8,902 for each one.
With swathes of money being spent in the North West, it meant the London clubs were locked out last season. No top 10 entries from anyone playing in Arsenal, Chelsea or Tottenham colours.
THE CHAMPIONS
With the 2024/25 Premier League crown going to Liverpool, it seems only fair to place Arne Slot's men under a greater spotlight and we can do so by looking at their top 10 earners
| Player | Squad | Annual Salary | Salary | Season Salary | Min | Earnings Per Minute |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | £18,200,000 | £350,000 | £13,300,000 | 3,371 | £3,945 |
| Virgil van Dijk | Liverpool | £11,440,000 | £220,000 | £8,360,000 | 3,330 | £2,511 |
| Trent Alexander-Arnold | Liverpool | £9,360,000 | £180,000 | £6,840,000 | 2,365 | £2,892 |
| Andrew Robertson | Liverpool | £8,320,000 | £160,000 | £6,080,000 | 2,482 | £2,450 |
| Ryan Gravenberch | Liverpool | £7,800,000 | £150,000 | £5,700,000 | 3,160 | £1,804 |
| Alexis Mac Allister | Liverpool | £7,800,000 | £150,000 | £5,700,000 | 2,599 | £2,193 |
| Alisson | Liverpool | £7,800,000 | £150,000 | £5,700,000 | 2,508 | £2,273 |
| Federico Chiesa | Liverpool | £7,800,000 | £150,000 | £5,700,000 | 108 | £52,778 |
| Darwin Núñez | Liverpool | £7,280,000 | £140,000 | £5,320,000 | 1,133 | £4,695 |
| Dominik Szoboszlai | Liverpool | £6,240,000 | £120,000 | £4,560,000 | 2,491 | £1,831 |
Mohamed Salah at Anfield Liverpool // Alamy
As we know above, it was Mohamed Salah who tops the earnings list but that does not mean further wealth is not shared between the npw defending champions.
Much was made of the trio of Salah, Virgl van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold all being out of contract at the end of the 2024/25 season. The first two eventually signing new deals, the latter deciding to move to Real Madrid.
Van Dijk played a total of 3,330 Premier League minutes last season, at an average of £2,511 each - £381 less than that of the outgoing Alexander-Arnold who played nearly a 1,000 minutes less than his now ex-teammate.
Contract status or not, you would have to say that the trio all offered decent value for money in Liverpool's title winning bid. The same cannot be said for Federico Chiesa.
The Italian forward was hampered by injury last season and played a total of just 108 league minutes. However, he would still go on to pocket £5.7m across the length of the 2024/25 campaign - a payment of £52,778 per 60 seconds played.
THE GATECRASHERS
With Tottenham gatecrashing the party in terms of Champions League qualfication for the 2025/26 season, we should also see if their big earners were efficient in terms of wages versus minutes.
| Player | Squad | Annual Salary | Salary | Season Salary | Min ▼ | Earnings Per Minute |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Son Heung-min | Tottenham | £9,880,000 | £190,000 | £7,220,000 | 2,110 | £3,422 |
| James Maddison | Tottenham | £8,840,000 | £170,000 | £6,460,000 | 1,809 | £3,571 |
| Timo Werner | Tottenham | £8,580,000 | £165,000 | £6,270,000 | 516 | £12,151 |
| Cristian Romero | Tottenham | £8,580,000 | £165,000 | £6,270,000 | 1,416 | £4,428 |
| Dejan Kulusevski | Tottenham | £5,720,000 | £110,000 | £4,180,000 | 2,389 | £1,750 |
Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-Min // alamy
Of Tottenham's top five eaners, it is Son Heung-min who tops the pile after picking up a £7.22m season salary in his last campaign in North London.
The South Korean may have now swapped London for Los Angeles and he did so having played 2,110 minutes across 2024/25 at an per minute rate of £3,422.
He hands over the captain's armband to Cristian Romero and last season the Argentine played 1,416 minutes at an average of £4,428. A figure that new manager Thomas Frank will certainly be looking to drive down by the end of the 2025/26 season.
While James Maddison's figure could be a lot higher this season after suffering a severe injury in pre-season andif he can get anywhere close to the 1,809 minutes played last time around (worth £3,571 per 60 seconds), it would signify a remarkably quick recovery after damaging his ACL.
GOOD BECOMES BAD
Of course, wherever there is good value, there must always be bad, and with the same logic as above, we can now highlight those that must be considered as the latter. With that in mind, here are the top five highest pay-per-minute earners.
| Player | Squad | Annual Salary | Salary | Season Salary | Min | Earnings Per Minute |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boubacar Traoré | Wolves | £2,860,000 | £55,000 | £2,090,000 | 1 | £2,090,000 |
| Vitor Reis | Manchester City | £2,080,000 | £40,000 | £1,520,000 | 1 | £1,520,000 |
| Reiss Nelson | Arsenal | £5,200,000 | £100,000 | £3,800,000 | 3 | £1,266,667 |
| Takehiro Tomiyasu | Arsenal | £5,200,000 | £100,000 | £3,800,000 | 7 | £542,857 |
| Mason Holgate | Everton | £3,640,000 | £70,000 | £2,660,000 | 6 | £443,333 |
Boubacar Traore of Wolves // Action Plus Sports Images
In the interest of fairness, there will be some caveats when it comes to injuries and therefore, we must apply an element of context when looking at the table sitting just above. Spare a thought for Boubacar Traoré who played just one single minute of Premier League football last season.
The Wolves defender earned a season salry of £2.09m at Molineux - nice work if you can get it and the same can be said for Victor Reis at Manchester City.
Like his Wolves counterpart he only managed to record a single 60 Premier League seconds last season - a cameo that was worth £1.52m to the Etihad outfit.
Dropping down the list and it is an Arsenal lockout for third and fourth place. Reiss Nelson played three minutes worth £1.26m each, teammate Takehiro Tomiyasu played seven by comparison at a value of £542,857.
While rounding out the top five was Everton's Mason Holgate.Just six minutes were recorded at Goodison Park last season. Split £2.66m across 360 seconds and it is worth £433,333 per minute.
MINUTE FOR MINUTE
After looking at the highest earners in the Premier League and those players who can be considered as bad value, we can also look at those players who earn the least per minute and with the same logic once again, here are the true bargains.
| Player | Squad | Annual Salary | Salary | Season Salary | Min | Earnings Per Minute |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omari Hutchinson | Ipswich Town | £312,000 | £6,000 | £228,000 | 2,583 | £88 |
| Taylor Harwood-Bellis | Southampton | £390,000 | £7,500 | £285,000 | 2,825 | £101 |
| Tyler Dibling | Southampton | £260,000 | £5,000 | £190,000 | 1,874 | £101 |
| Myles Lewis-Skelly | Arsenal | £208,000 | £4,000 | £152,000 | 1,369 | £111 |
| Lewis Hall | Newcastle Utd | £364,000 | £7,000 | £266,000 | 2,189 | £122 |
| Rayan Aït-Nouri | Wolves | £520,000 | £10,000 | £380,000 | 3,109 | £122 |
| Yegor Yarmolyuk | Brentford | £260,000 | £5,000 | £190,000 | 1,450 | £131 |
| Yasin Ayari | Brighton | £416,000 | £8,000 | £304,000 | 1,965 | £155 |
| Mads Hermansen | Leicester City | £520,000 | £10,000 | £380,000 | 2,385 | £159 |
| Kevin Schade | Brentford | £520,000 | £10,000 | £380,000 | 2,293 | £166 |
It was Omari Hutchinson who was the best value for money in terms of per minute earnings. After playing 2,583 minutes for Ipswich last season, his earnings of £228k means each 60 seconds was worth just £88.
£13 pounds more than the Southampton pair of Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Tyler Dibbling. 2,825 and 1,874 league minutes respectively, each working out at £101 per 60 seconds.
While Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly would find himself positioned fourth on the list as the breakout star of last season collected 1,369 Premier League minutes at an average of £111 each.
That figure was £11 more than that of Lewis Hall and Rayan Ait-Nouri who shared fifth place with £122 each. Two left backs who were recurring figures in the respective Newcastle and Wolves lineups with the latter now making a switch to Manchester City.
Of the players in the top 10 list, four were represented by clubs that were promoted and then relegated at the first time of asking (Ipswich 1, Southampton 2, Leicester 1)
OUTSIDE THE BIG SIX
Of course, the Premier League is not just about the big six clubs, but those who look to break the glass ceiling each campaign. When we remove the big six members out of the top earners list, he is what it looks like:
| Player | Squad | Annual Salary | Salary | Season Salary | Min | Earnings Per Minute |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bruno Guimarães | Newcastle Utd | £8,320,000 | £160,000 | £6,080,000 | 3,271 | £1,859 |
| Lloyd Kelly | Newcastle Utd | £7,800,000 | £150,000 | £5,700,000 | 303 | £18,812 |
| Kalvin Phillips | Ipswich Town | £7,800,000 | £150,000 | £5,700,000 | 1,237 | £4,608 |
| Boubacar Kamara | Aston Villa | £7,800,000 | £150,000 | £5,700,000 | 1,726 | £3,302 |
| Lucas Paquetá | West Ham | £7,800,000 | £150,000 | £5,700,000 | 2,380 | £2,395 |
The highest non-big six earner was Bruno Guimaraes The Newcastle midfielder earned £6.08m at St James' Park last season and with the Brazilian playing a total of 3,271, manager Eddie Howe would have extracted plenty of value from his services - value that equates to earnings of £1,859 per minute.
The rest of the top five sees four players each earn a season salary of £5.7m and with differing results.
Lloyd Kelly played 303 minutes before a move from Newcastle to Juventus - this meant an average earnings of £18,812 per 60 seconds.
Kalvin Phillips had a loan spell at Ipswich and after playing 1,237 minutes for the Tractor Boys, it worked out at £4,608 a minute.
Boubacar Kamara played a total of 1,726 minutes for Aston Villa at an average of £3,302 nearly a thousand pounds more than the £2,395 Lucas Paqueta recorded at West Ham.
Methodology
Step 1: We take each of the individual weekly salaries that have been captured from fbref.com
Step 2: We then multiple their weekly salary into what would be their annual earnings (52 weeks of the year)
Step 3: We then divide their annual salary by 38 – the value of weeks in their annual salary at this stage
Step 4: Divide this value by minutes played. This then gives us the pay-per-minute played value
Salary and Player data: https://fbref.com/en/comps/9/Premier-League-Stats
