Serie A's 30 Highest Paid Players Revealed
The Serie A is gradually getting back to where it used to be in terms of stature and naturally this has led to a financial boost for the biggest starts of the Italian top flight.
Goal.com released the figures for the 30 top earners per year in the Serie A and without further ado here they are...
=24. Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus) - €3m
=24. Ivan Perisic (Inter Milan) - €3m
=24. Jose Callejon (Napoli) - €3m
=24. Andrea Barzagli (Juventus) - €3m
=24. Mehdi Benatia (Juventus) - €3m
=24. Miranda (Inter Milan) - €3m
=24. Daniele De Rossi (Roma) - €3m
23. Kevin Strootman (Roma) - €3.2m
=13. Blaise Matuidi (Juventus) - €3.5m
=13. NIkola Kalinic (AC Milan) - €3.5m
=13. Juan Caydrado (Juventus) - €3.5m
=13. Wojciech Szczesny (Juventus) - €3.5m
=13. Lucas Biglia (AC Milan) - €3.5m
=13. Mario Mandzukic (Juventus) - €3.5m
=13. Dries Mertens (Napoli) - €3.5m
=13. Claudio Marchisio (Juventus) - €3.5m
=13. Marek Hamsik (Napoli) - €3.5m
=13. Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus) - €3.5m
12. Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli) - €3.6m
11. Sami Khedira (Juventus) - €4m
10. Radja Nainggolan (Roma)
Earnings per year: €4.2m
The Belgian powerhouse has established himself as one of the most aggressive midfielders in Europe and Roma continue to hold on to the 29-year-old by making him the second best paid player in the Italian capital.
=6. Edin Dzeko (Roma)
Earnings per year: €4.5m
Nainggolan's teammate is the highest earner in Rome and he most certainly proves his worth, with the Bosnia & Herzegovina international striker in the most prolific phase of his goal-lade career.
=6. Miralem Pjanic (Juventus)
Earnings per year: €4.5m
Dzeko's international teammate has been a one of the most consistent midfielders in the Serie A ever since he arrived at the Stadio Olimpico from Lyon in 2011. Now in Turin, Pjanic is behind much of the Old Lady's more creative football.
=6. Mauro Icardi (Inter Milan)
Earnings per year: €4.5m
If there is one team that is more dependent on a single player than any other side in the league it is Inter Milan and Mauro Icardi. The Argentinian striker, now captain of the Nerazzurri, continues to lead the line with distinction and is hoping to fire his club to the Champions League.
=6. Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus)
Earnings per year: €4.5m
The face of Juventus for the last fifteen years, Gianluigi Buffon just keeps getting better, despite being dangerously close to 40 now. The Italian stopper is captain for both club and country and is compensated accordingly for it.
5. Douglas Costa (Juventus)
Earnings per year: €6m
A newcomer to the Allianz Stadium, Douglas Costa made the switch from Bayern Munich this summer and was arguably the most high profile arrival for the Serie A champions, which probably helped him sneak into the top five.
4. Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan)
Earnings per year: €6m
The heir to Buffon's throne as the dominating Italian goalkeeper of his generation, the 18-year-old signed a new deal with the Rossoneri, following rumours that Real Madrid were set to sign the teenager.
3. Paulo Dybala (Juventus)
Earnings per year: €7m
It's hard to argue against Paulo Dybala as the most talented player in the Serie A, however, the Argentine can only pick up the bronze medal when it comes to his annual paycheck, still €7m a year is not bad.
=1. Leonardo Bonucci (AC Milan)
Earnings per year: €7.5m
The story of the summer in Italy, Leonardo Bonucci swapped Juventus for Milan, which could help swing the balance of power over to the San Siro. One of the best centre-backs in the world, he was handed the captaincy upon arrival at Casa Milan.
=1. Gonzalo Higuain (Juventus)
Earnings per year: €7.5m
Earning more than double what those at the start of this list get each year, Gonzalo Higuain, along with Bonucci, is the most well-paid footballer in Italy. The Argentine also holds the honour of being the most expensive too, following his switch to Juve from Napoli last summer.