Tottenham Hotspur appear to have loosened their strict wage structure this summer, but the latest figures suggest their record signing, Sandro Tonali, is not earning quite as much as initially reported.
Tottenham Hotspur CEO Vinai Venkatesham admitted after Daniel Levy’s departure that the club’s strict wage structure had made it harder to attract and retain top talent and achieve its ambitions, with reports suggesting Spurs were preparing to move away from that model.
What we have seen this summer certainly points in that direction, with Tottenham beating several European giants to the signatures of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes while also convincing Pedro Porro and, more recently, Micky van de Ven to extend their contracts despite interest from elsewhere.
The common theme is that Spurs have had to put significantly bigger numbers on the table, whether that means increased wages for existing players or improved contracts for new arrivals.
With that in mind, the latest figures provide an interesting look at Tottenham’s wage structure ahead of the new season.
Sandro Tonali’s Tottenham wage is lower than reports suggested
When Sandro Tonali joined Tottenham, several reports claimed that the midfielder was earning somewhere between £250,000 and £300,000 per week.
However, Capology’s latest Tottenham wage figures paint a different picture, with the website putting Tonali’s weekly salary considerably below those initial reports.
There are still some important gaps in the figures as Van de Ven’s wages have not yet been updated following his new contract, while Mateus Fernandes’ salary has also not been revealed, although other sources claim that the number is £175,000.
As things currently stand, however, the latest figures show the following:
| Player | Gross fixed p/w | Gross fixed p/y |
|---|---|---|
| Sandro Tonali | £200,000 | £10,400,000 |
| Cristian Romero | £195,000 | £10,140,000 |
| Xavi Simons | £195,000 | £10,140,000 |
| James Maddison | £170,000 | £8,840,000 |
| Conor Gallagher | £160,000 | £8,320,000 |
| Marcos Senesi | £150,000 | £7,800,000 |
| Mohammed Kudus | £150,000 | £7,800,000 |
| Pedro Porro | £150,000 | £7,800,000 |
| Dominic Solanke | £140,000 | £7,280,000 |
| Dejan Kulusevski | £110,000 | £5,720,000 |
| Richarlison | £90,000 | £4,680,000 |
| Ben Davies | £80,000 | £4,160,000 |
| Destiny Udogie | £75,000 | £3,900,000 |
| Guglielmo Vicario | £75,000 | £3,900,000 |
| Archie Gray | £75,000 | £3,900,000 |
| Rodrigo Bentancur | £75,000 | £3,900,000 |
| Pape Sarr | £70,000 | £3,640,000 |
| Kevin Danso | £65,000 | £3,380,000 |
| Lucas Bergvall | £60,000 | £3,120,000 |
| Antonin Kinsky | £60,000 | £3,120,000 |
| Mathys Tel | £55,000 | £2,860,000 |
| Djed Spence | £40,000 | £2,080,000 |
| Wilson Odobert | £40,000 | £2,080,000 |
| Kota Takai | £32,500 | £1,690,000 |
| Souza | £25,000 | £1,300,000 |
Tottenham need to clear wage space for Victor Osimhen
Moving away from the strict wage structure could certainly help Tottenham attract the calibre of players Roberto De Zerbi wants, but it also brings another problem.
As we pointed out previously, handing out bigger contracts in the current manner Tottenham are doing, can strengthen the negotiating position of both potential new signings and existing players, who can point to those deals when demanding improved terms of their own.
That is already becoming relevant with Spurs’ interest in Victor Osimhen as Tottenham would reportedly need to sell either Dominic Solanke or Richarlison to create enough space in both the squad and wage bill for the Galatasaray striker.
Osimhen currently earns around £309,000 per week before tax in Turkey, but his take-home pay would be affected by England’s higher tax rate. Spurs would therefore need to offer him considerably more to ensure his net earnings remain the same.
With further high earners such as Cristian Romero, who earns around £195,000 per week, also expected to leave in the coming weeks, Tottenham could soon have considerably more room to manoeuvre.