The story of the 2025/26 Arsenal squad is a study in ambition, risk, and calculated investment. For years, the club’s critics pointed to a messy, inflated, and unbalanced wage structure, a lingering relic of the Arsène Wenger and Unai Emery eras that needed drastic surgery.
Now, at the dawn of a season many expect to be pivotal for Mikel Arteta, the financial health of the squad feels fundamentally different.
The total wage bill stands at a formidable £179.2 million, and the average weekly salary has climbed to approximately £132,600 per player. These numbers place Arsenal squarely in the territory of football’s global elite, a clear sign that the patient, methodical rebuild under Arteta and the new-look executive team has entered its most expensive phase.
The club is no longer just buying potential; it is paying for present-day, elite-level contribution, and paying top dollar to retain the generational talents forged at Hale End.
The summer of 2025 was a defining market shift for the club, marked by an aggressive transfer campaign that saw the arrival of players like Viktor Gyökeres, Eberechi Eze, and Martín Zubimendi, alongside defensive reinforcements like Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapié.
These new contracts, and the strategically negotiated extensions for core players, reveal a hierarchy that is as much about performance and potential as it is about market value.
Saka, Saliba, and the New Hierarchy
The financial ceiling of the Arsenal squad has been decisively reset, and the top earners are the clearest signal of where the club now sees its value. The undisputed king of the payroll is Bukayo Saka, who commands a reported £300,000 per week.
His deal, signed when he was 21, was a foundational piece of the club’s stability plan, rewarding a player who embodies the club’s present and future. It is a salary that reflects his status as the club’s talisman and one of the most commercially valuable English players in the world.
Immediately beneath Saka, the forward line dominates. Kai Havertz remains a significant figure at £275,000 per week, a contract that speaks to the premium paid to lure him across London and the strategic importance of his versatile role in Arteta’s system. The faith shown in Havertz is not just tactical, but financial.
The most telling deal in recent times, however, belongs to the club’s defensive cornerstone, William Saliba, now earning a hefty £250,000 per week. Saliba’s long-term contract, running until 2030, is a major triumph of recruitment and retention.
For a generation, Arsenal struggled to lock down its best defenders for their peak years, but Saliba’s wage is a clear statement: this defensive spine is here to stay, and the club will pay whatever it takes to ensure his elite level is maintained in red and white. He is a centre-back commanding the same wages as an elite striker, a reflection of his scarcity and importance.
Rounding out the top tier are the midfield masters, Declan Rice and captain Martin Ødegaard, both earning in the £220k-£225k range, closely followed by veteran forward Gabriel Jesus on £220,000 per week. This cluster confirms the philosophy: Arsenal pays premier wages for players who offer both on-pitch elite productivity and crucial leadership qualities.
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The Marquee Arrivals
The summer business was driven by a need for clinical edge and increased depth, and the wages offered to the new arrivals reflect the market pressure to deliver immediately.
Viktor Gyökeres arrived as the long-awaited number nine, and his £200,000 per week salary puts him immediately among the club’s highest earners. This is the going rate for a proven, goalscoring centre-forward in the Premier League, and it signifies the pressure on the Swedish international to solve the team’s most persistent problem.
Crucially, the arrival of Eberechi Eze at £175,000 per week adds significant, proven creative quality, positioned just below the established attacking elite. His contract, running to 2030, shows the club’s commitment to an agile, dynamic forward line, providing an alternative to the heavy reliance on Saka and Martinelli.
In the midfield pivot, the acquisitions of Martín Zubimendi and Mikel Merino brought stability. Their salaries;£100,000 and £105,000 per week, respectively, represent a sensible, mid-to-high-level investment in Premier League-ready depth.
Zubimendi, in particular, offers a lower entry point on the wage scale than some of the established stars, suggesting that his potential for growth and adaptation is factored into a deal that is still substantial.
The most fascinating new arrivals, perhaps, are the young defenders. Riccardo Calafiori (£105,000) and Piero Hincapié (£100,000) join on deals that are competitive for starting-calibre players in their early twenties, while the young Cristhian Mosquera at £70,000 per week is an intriguing investment, a classic Arsenal move of betting on high-potential talent at a relatively modest fee and salary.
The club has shifted its defensive wage investment from older, outgoing players like Kieran Tierney and Oleksandr Zinchenko towards a younger, high-ceiling rotation.
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The Generational Gap
A hallmark of the Arsenal rebuild has been securing the long-term future of their academy products. While Saka sits at the very top, the club’s financial planning for its next wave of Hale End talent is already in motion.
Gabriel Martinelli, on £180,000 per week, is locked down until 2027 and represents the bridge between the academy stars and the global recruits. Meanwhile, the next generation is being given significant, motivating contracts.
Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly, both still teenagers, are already earning £40,000 per week. These are highly unusual, top-tier contracts for players of their age, intended to ward off predatory interest from other elite clubs. The club is effectively investing in its future wage bill now, ensuring that when these players inevitably become first-team regulars, the foundation for their next massive contract is already in place.
At the very bottom of the structure, the presence of scholars like Jack Porter (£1,000) and Max Dowman (£35) highlights the vast financial chasm within the professional game. The latter, a prodigious 15-year-old talent, is on an academy scholarship, earning essentially pocket money, a sharp contrast to the multi-million-pound careers he and his contemporaries are striving for.
This gap illustrates the ruthless financial meritocracy of the Premier League.
Squad Depth and Financial Efficiency
A key financial takeaway from this squad list is the improved balance and depth of the payroll. The previous regime often saw players on inflated contracts who contributed little, the definition of ‘dead money.’ The 2025/26 list shows the club has largely corrected this.
Even the squad options are on contracts that reflect their utility. Leandro Trossard, an invaluable forward utility player, is on £100,000 per week, a price that has been more than justified by his goals and assists. Similarly, Jurrien Timber‘s £90,000 per week deal is a sensible contract for a versatile defender recovering from a serious injury, with a high chance of providing excellent value as he returns to full fitness.
The acquisitions of veteran keepers David Raya (£120,000) and Kepa Arrizabalaga (£75,000) show a willingness to spend on the often undervalued goalkeeper position, ensuring high-level competition and security. Even the 31-year-old Danish international Christian Nørgaard is brought in for a solid £80,000 per week to provide experience and Premier League know-how at a price point that makes sense for an experienced rotational player.
The wage structure is, in short, a financial model for contention. It is a hierarchy that prioritizes elite youth, rewards performance, and invests strategically in specific profile gaps identified by the manager. The total bill may be high, but the money is now tied up in players entering or currently in their prime, all aligned with a unified, long-term vision.
This Arsenal squad is expensive, but for the first time in a very long time, it feels like they are spending like genuine title contenders.
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Arsenal’s 2025/26 Squad Wages
| # | Player | Weekly Wage | Annual Equivalent | Age | Contract Until |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bukayo Saka (England) | £300,000 | £15.6 m | 24 | 2027 |
| 2 | Kai Havertz (Germany) | £275,000 | £13.2 m | 26 | 2028 |
| 3 | William Saliba (France) | £250,000 | £13.0 m | 24 | 2030 |
| 4 | Declan Rice (England) | £225,000 | £11.7 m | 26 | 2028 |
| 5 | Martin Ødegaard (Norway) | £220,000 | £11.4 m | 26 | 2028 |
| 6 | Gabriel Jesus (Brazil) | £220,000 | £11.4 m | 28 | 2027 |
| 7 | Viktor Gyökeres (Sweden) | £200,000 | £10.4 m | 27 | 2030 |
| 8 | Gabriel Martinelli (Brazil) | £180,000 | £9.4 m | 24 | 2027 |
| 9 | Eberechi Eze (England) | £175,000 | £9.1 m | 27 | 2030 |
| 10 | Gabriel Magalhães (Brazil) | £150,000 | £7.8 m | 27 | 2029 |
| 11 | Ben White (England) | £150,000 | £7.8 m | 28 | 2028 |
| 12 | David Raya (Spain) | £120,000 | £6.0 m | 30 | 2028 |
| 13 | Riccardo Calafiori (Italy) | £105,000 | £5.5 m | 23 | 2029 |
| 14 | Mikel Merino (Spain) | £105,000 | £5.5 m | 29 | 2028 |
| 15 | Piero Hincapié (Ecuador) | £100,000 | £5.2 m | 23 | 2029 |
| 16 | Noni Madueke (England) | £100,000 | £5.2 m | 23 | 2030 |
| 17 | Martín Zubimendi (Spain) | £100,000 | £5.2 m | 26 | 2030 |
| 18 | Leandro Trossard (Belgium) | £100,000 | £5.2 m | 30 | 2026 |
| 19 | Jurrien Timber (Netherlands) | £90,000 | £4.7 m | 24 | 2028 |
| 20 | Christian Nørgaard (Denmark) | £80,000 | £4.2 m | 31 | 2027 |
| 21 | Kepa Arrizabalaga (Spain) | £75,000 | £3.9 m | 31 | 2028 |
| 22 | Cristhian Mosquera (Spain) | £70,000 | £3.6 m | 21 | 2030 |
| 23 | Ethan Nwaneri (England) | £40,000 | £2.1 m | 18 | 2030 |
| 24 | Myles Lewis-Skelly (England) | £40,000 | £2.1 m | 19 | 2030 |
| 25 | Jack Porter (England) | £1,000 | £52k | 17 | 2028 |
| 26 | Max Dowman (England) | £35 | £18.5k | 15 | 2026 |
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What This Means for Arteta’s Project
Mikel Arteta’s project at Arsenal has always been about building, not just a one-season flash. The wage structure now reflects that.
The club is prepared to pay for elite contributions, lock in core talent, and create a platform where young players can emerge behind a stable spine.
On an on-pitch level, this should reduce the “upgrade shock” of each season. When a club pays low and suddenly tries to shift to high, the transition can hinder performance. Arsenal appear to have done the integration: youth, core elite, new recruits, all aligned.
It also gives Arteta greater clarity. He knows who his highest earners are, their contract lengths, and the expectations that come with them. That allows him to focus less on managing off-field variables (wage discontent, contract renegotiations) and more on tactics, training, performance.
Moreover, the wage list tells us that recruitment isn’t only about buying big names. It shows a mixture: top-tier maxers (Saka, Saliba, Rice, Ødegaard), major signings (Gyökeres, Eze), and cost-weighted depth and youth. That is the hallmark of a mature squad build, rather than scattergun spending.
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Potential Risks and What to Keep an Eye On
- Injuries and under-performance: Paying high wages means when players underperform or are injured, the financial burden rises. The longer the contracts, the less flex the club has if someone doesn’t deliver.
- Wage growth escalation: If future renegotiations push even the mid-tier upwards, cost base could balloon. The club must keep control of wage inflation or risk being squeezed by Financial Fair Play/Profit & Sustainability rules.
- Transition of older players: As the core ages, performance will eventually decline. Knowing when to replace them without overpaying or losing control of wages will be essential.
- Youth transition: The academy players are paid well now, but the step to senior level remains huge. Ensuring youth progression doesn’t stall is key to long-term value.
- Results matching investment: Ultimately, if the spending doesn’t yield silverware or sustained improvement then the narrative shifts to “overpaid under-performers”. The club has signalled its ambition; now the players must deliver.
All wages are verified from Salaryleaks as of October 21, 2025
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