The 10 Highest-Paid British Footballers Playing Abroad (2025)
- Think Football Ideas
- Jul 26
- 5 min read
Britain’s 10 Biggest Football Salaries Outside the Premier League (2025)
There used to be a time when playing in the Premier League was the ultimate badge of honour for British footballers. If you weren’t chasing silverware under the lights of Anfield, Old Trafford, or Stamford Bridge, were you even trying?
But now, the footballing world has stretched far beyond England’s borders. Big contracts, fresh challenges, and the chance to rewrite legacies are luring top British talents away from home soil.
Whether it’s the sun-soaked stadiums of Saudi Arabia or the passion-fuelled atmospheres of La Liga and Serie A, British footballers are cashing in, literally and figuratively.
Below Are The 10 Highest-Paid British Footballers Playing Abroad in 2025
10. Ruben Loftus-Cheek – AC Milan – £83,256/week
Once heralded as the next midfield general to rise from Chelsea’s Cobham academy, Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s career has been a slow burn. Injuries and inconsistency dimmed what looked like a sparkling future in West London. But in Milan, the 29-year-old has found rhythm and responsibility.
Now a regular in AC Milan’s midfield carousel, Loftus-Cheek provides versatility and poise, earning a healthy paycheck while soaking in the Rossoneri legacy. He’s not the headline-maker, but in Italy, he’s a craftsman earning both minutes and money.
9. Dele Alli – Como – £90,234/week
Dele’s journey has been anything but linear. Once the golden boy of English football, dazzling for Spurs and England, his fall from grace was steep. Yet, in 2025, Dele has pressed reset in the most unexpected of places: Como, the Serie A club.
Under the guidance of Cesc Fàbregas, the Italian club is chasing relevance, and Dele – now 29 – is trying to reignite the spark.
While his debut in Serie A was rocky, the pay packet suggests the club believes in redemption. It’s football’s version of a second act, and the script is still being written.
8. Scott McTominay – Napoli – £90,234/week
Napoli’s love affair with British midfielders isn’t new, but Scott McTominay’s arrival was met with a raised eyebrow or two. A product of Manchester United’s famed academy, McTominay didn’t quite become the midfield anchor many expected at Old Trafford.
But in Naples, under the tactical demands of Antonio Conte, he’s been reborn. His grit and tenacity propelled Napoli into the 2024-25 Serie A champions, as he was also crowned the Italian league's most valuable player. His £90k-a-week salary reflects not just potential, but purpose. Scott McTominay Facts: An Insight into the Scottish Midfielder's Career.
7. Tammy Abraham – Besiktas (Loan) – £93,642/week
Tammy Abraham’s footballing adventure has seen him go from Stamford Bridge to Stadio Olimpico, and now, Turkey. On loan at Besiktas, Abraham is working to rebuild a career that once looked destined for England’s No. 9 shirt.
Despite a dip in form post-Roma debut, the London-born striker is still commanding a significant wage. In the Turkish Süper Lig, he’s seen as both a marquee name and a project worth investing in. With his height, hold-up play, and eye for goal, there’s still time for Abraham to remind everyone what he’s capable of.
6. Conor Gallagher – Atletico Madrid – £146,062/week
From the green fields of Surrey to the roaring coliseum of the Wanda Metropolitano, Conor Gallagher’s journey has taken a fascinating twist. Forced out of Chelsea due to financial reshuffling, Gallagher has become Diego Simeone’s midfield pitbull, relentless, energetic, and surprisingly refined.
His work rate has endeared him to the notoriously tough Spanish fanbase, and his six-figure weekly wage proves just how valuable he’s become. Gallagher's arrival in Madrid was with a purpose.
5. Marcus Rashford – Barcelona (Loan) – £166,626/week
Marcus Rashford’s Manchester United story has always felt deeply emotional. But football, like life, rarely follows a neat arc. After falling out of favour at Old Trafford, Rashford made the bold switch to Barcelona on July 23, 2025.
On loan and keen to silence the critics, Rashford’s speed and directness are part of why the Blaugrana reckon he can inject life into their attack. Now rubbing shoulders with Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal, Rashford earns close to £167k a week, a price the Catalan giants appear more than happy to pay for hopefully a revitalised version of the England international.
4. Trent Alexander-Arnold – Real Madrid – £240,000/week
There’s something poetic about a Scouser in Spain. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool’s once-in-a-generation fullback, has taken his talents to the Santiago Bernabéu.
Fluent in Spanish and oozing confidence, Trent joined Real Madrid on a free transfer with a golden contract after helping Liverpool secure the 2024-25 Premier League title under Arne Slot's guidance.
Earning £240k weekly, he’s bringing flair and vision to a position that now demands playmaking as much as defending. At age 26, he has swapped Mersey nights for Madrid dreams, doing so in style.
3. Jude Bellingham – Real Madrid – £338,053/week
You don’t just play for Real Madrid, you command the Bernabéu. And Jude Bellingham, at only 22, is doing exactly that. With an elegance far beyond his years and the swagger of a player destined for greatness, Bellingham is central to Madrid’s present and future.
His £338k weekly earnings reflect his superstar status, and his impact has gone well beyond the stat sheet. Whether scoring late winners or bossing the midfield, Bellingham isn’t just one of the best British players abroad, he might be the best anywhere.
2. Harry Kane – Bayern Munich – £405,729/week
Harry Kane left England chasing titles, and in Germany, he’s been nothing short of lethal. With a goal ratio that defies logic, the former Tottenham talisman is living up to his billing in Bavaria.
Earning just over £400k a week, Kane’s move to Bayern Munich wasn’t solely about medals, it was about proving he could thrive beyond the Premier League bubble. And he’s done just that, all while remaining one of the most clinical strikers on the planet.
1. Ivan Toney – Al-Ahli – £414,006/week
If someone told you five years ago that Ivan Toney would be the highest-paid British footballer in the world, would you have believed them? But here we are. Swapping Brentford for Al-Ahli, Toney made the leap to the Saudi Pro League at the peak of his career.
His move raised eyebrows, but his bank balance speaks volumes. At over £414k per week, the penalty specialist has traded the Premier League spotlight for Middle Eastern riches, and he’s far from done.
Signed, Sealed, Paid Abroad
In 2025, being a top British footballer no longer means staying in England. The world is open, the money is vast, and the ambitions are global.
Whether chasing silverware in Europe or cashing in under desert skies, these ten stars are leading the charge, proof that British footballers are no longer just Premier League royalty. They're international kings.
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