LIGUE 1
Paris Saint-Germain’s unprecedented wage bill: how much is it and which clubs are next on the list?
Despite the Ligue 1 leaders’ incredible spending over several years, they are not said to be in FFP danger, especially if Lionel Messi leaves.
Qatar’s extraordinary levels of investment in Paris Saint-Germain has led to skyrocketing domestic spending in recent years. As confirmed by the DNCG (Direction Nationale du Contrôle du Gestion), the organisation responsible for monitoring and overseeing the accounts of professional soccer clubs in France, the Ligue 1 leaders posted losses of €368 million (approximately $409 million) in the last financial year, in addition to having the highest wage bill in the history of the sport.
How much is PSG’s wage bill?
Following the signings of Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Achraf Hakimi, amongst others, PSG’s wage bill for the 2021-22 season rose to €729 million ($811 million), an increase of nearly €100 million ($111 million) from the previous year and was, unsurprisingly, considerably higher than any other club in Europe. The Parisians lead that particular table ahead of Real Madrid and Barcelona, whose own tallies come in at €519 million ($578 million) and €457 million ($509 million) respectively, according to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport.
What is Lionel Messi’s salary at PSG?
Both the club and its management, including president NasserAl-Khelaifi attribute the increase to losses suffered as a result of the covid-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, PSG reduced the side of their squad last summer, loaning out eight players and limiting, compared to previous years in any case, the huge sums of money spent on new signings, both in terms of transfer fees and wages. The rumoured departure of Messi, who earns around €40 million ($44.5 million) per season before tax, would give PSG more room for manoeuvre in the next summer transfer window.
PSG working within new FFP rules
These troubling figures shouldn’t be an obstacle for the club to sign new players ahead of the new season. According to the latest reports in France, they aren’t in danger of breaking the new Financial Fair Play rules, which come into force in June. If they sell a number of players they are planning to move on, especially those who are currently out on loan, the Ligue 1 champions-elect will not face any further punishment from UEFA, who hit them with a €55 million fine in August 2022 (€10 million was paid up front, with the rest under suspension if they breached FFP rules once again).