England s top ten highest-paid players: Saudi Arabia s Toni beats Kane, Sterling s high salary has no ball to play with

While fans are accustomed to discussing the Premier League's sky-high broadcast contracts and player salaries, a list of the top 10 players' salaries in England in 2025 is still surprising. The huge contrast between the salary and performance of some players has triggered widespread discussions about the "hukou premium".

Today, let us take a look at this list full of topics and explore the stories behind high salaries.

01 The Saudi gold dollar reaches the top, Tony becomes the most expensive English player

Who is the highest-paid English player in the world? Not Kane, not Bellingham, but Ivan Toney, who plays for the Saudi Jeddah Nationals!

The 29-year-old former Brentford star ranks first with a sky-high contract with a weekly salary of 423,000 pounds, surpassing many wealthy cores.

Tony’s example highlights the power of capital in today’s football world. The Saudi league's gold and dollar offensive has made an England fringe international become the highest-paid English football player in the world, which was unimaginable a few years ago.

02 Kane Bellingham, two stars shining in Europe

Behind Tony are two stars who have truly established themselves in the world's top clubs.

Harry Kane ranks second with a weekly salary of 415,000 pounds. As the captain of England and the core of Bayern Munich's offense, Kane's high salary is fully consistent with his identity and contribution.

Jude Bellingham ranks third with a weekly salary of 345,000 pounds. The 22-year-old midfield genius has become the core strength of Real Madrid and deserves such a salary.

Unlike other players on the list, Kane and Bellingham's performance matches their salary. They are the real signatures of English football.

03 High salary and inefficiency, Sterling’s embarrassing situation

The fourth on the list is Chelsea’s Raheem Sterling, with a weekly salary of 325,000 pounds. Unlike Kane and Bellingham, Sterling is in a very awkward situation - he earns a high salary but has no ball to play at Chelsea.

Sterling’s situation is one of the most controversial on this list. After moving from Manchester City to Chelsea, his career has been in decline. Now even though he was abandoned by the club, he can still receive a huge salary, which can be called a model of "making money while lying down".

04 250,000 pounds club, four players tied for seventh place

Another interesting phenomenon in this list is that there are four players tied for seventh place, all with a weekly salary of 250,000 pounds:

Mason Mount (Manchester United): Too many injuries affect his form

John Stones (Manchester City): An important member of the team's defense

Jadon Sancho (Loaned from Manchester United to Aston Villa): Controversial genius

Reece James (Chelsea): Captain of the Blues, but plagued by injuries

Among these four players, Stones' performance and salary are the most matched. As the core of Manchester City's defense, he has won many honors. The other three have their own problems - Mount and James are plagued by injuries, and Sancho has never been able to prove himself in the Premier League.

05 The Premier League system has given rise to the "hukou premium"

Why are the salaries of English players generally high? There are institutional reasons behind this.

The Premier League stipulates that a maximum of 25 players can be registered in the roster of players aged 21 and above, and at least 8 of them must be "locally trained players." This system has led to a shortage of eligible English players, which has pushed up their worth and wages, creating the so-called "hukou premium".

In addition, the Premier League’s strong commercial foundation also provides financial guarantee for high salaries. As the most commercially successful football league in the world, Premier League clubs have enough financial resources to pay these high salaries.

On the one hand, Saudi capital breaks down the salary structure, and on the other hand, the Premier League’s “household registration book” system generates premiums. Behind the phenomenon of high salaries for English players is the complex operating mechanism of the football economy.

In this list, who is worth the money and who is not worthy of the name? Perhaps only time can give the final answer.