Four Premier League managers feature in the highest-paid bosses in world football – and there is one surprise name amongst the rest of the entries too. The best-paid managers in the world are unsurprisingly at some of Europe’s most glamorous clubs, with the head coaches of Manchester City, Internazionale and Real Madrid featuring at the top end.
1. Diego Simeone (£30,000,000 per year) Simeone might not be at the biggest club in the world, but he earns a higher salary at Atletico Madrid than any coach at any other club.
The Argentinian is the longest-serving coach in Europe’s major leagues and has been well-remunerated for the transformative effect he’s had at the club since 2011.
As coach, he’s led Atletico to two La Liga titles and two Champions League finals, while qualifying the club for Europe’s most prestigious cup competition in every one of his full seasons at the helm. That impact has been recognised by the Atletico hierarchy and he’s remained the best-paid coach in football over the past few years.
Simeone earns a whopping £30million per year and remains contracted at the Metropolitano Stadium until 2027.
2. Pep Guardiola (£20,000,000 per year) £20million is an eye-watering sum, but it’s hard to say that Guardiola doesn’t deserve his Manchester City salary given the sustained success under his management.
The Spaniard guided City to their fourth successive Premier League title last season and are favourites to retain their crown in 2024-25.
His contract expires at the end of the current campaign, but rumours are growing that Guardiola will sign an extension and take his stay in Manchester to a full decade.
3. Steven Gerrard (£15,200,000 per year) The surprise inclusion on the list is Gerrard, who is currently managing in Saudi Arabia.
The former Aston Villa and Rangers boss is paid an annual wage of €17.6million to manage Al-Ettifaq which blows plenty of Premier League managers out of the water.
And despite the club’s topsy-turvy Saudi Pro League this season, the 44-year-old has a contract which runs all the way to 2027.
4. Carlo Ancelotti (£9,600,000 per year) Despite his undoubted success at Real Madrid, rumours linking Ancelotti with the Brazil job refused to go away throughout last season.
But the enigmatic Italian put pen to paper on a three-year extension, bringing his salary up to £9.6m per year.
A decade after winning his maiden Champions League for Los Blancos in his first stint, he lifted it again for a third time and fifth overall as a manager. Don Carlo’s adaptable, free-flowing football offers a refreshing respite from the more structured plans of his contemporaries. We are big fans.
5. Mikel Arteta (£9,500,000 per year)
Arsenal recently rewarded Arteta with a bumper new contract – and it’s hard to say that he doesn’t deserve it. The former Gunners captain has changed the complexion of the club since taking over in 2019; no longer are Arsenal the feeble, fragile laughing stock of yesteryear.
Two title challenges to Manchester City’s crown are a direct result of Arteta’s cultural overhaul, with the Spaniard responsible for everything from masterminding a tactical revolution to his ‘unique’ motivational methods.
6. Erik ten Hag (£9,000,000 per year)
It remains to be seen how long Ten Hag keeps his job at Manchester United after making another poor start to the 2024-25 campaign.
But the Dutchman certainly isn’t feeling the pinch at Old Trafford if his £9million annual salary is any indication.
United will always offer top money as a reflection of the unique pressures of managing the club, but even winning two trophies in two seasons hasn’t stopped people from questioning whether Ten Hag is proving value for money.
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