Chivu's captain, in the Top 10 salaries » Statisticians have calculated the correct amounts, according to performances!
Article by Daniel Scorpie – Published Wednesday, November 12, 2025, 5:01 p.m. / Updated Wednesday, November 12, 2025, 5:03 p.m.
Lautaro Martinez (28 years old) is rated the eighth footballer in the world for the salary he “deserves”, the amount being estimated based on the parameters analyzed by the CIES Football Observatory. His attacker Inter should receive 16.7 million gross per year at Interabout how much money he takes now. The leader of this ranking is Kylian Mbappe.
The Swiss statistical institute in Neuchatel published a top of the amounts that the world's best players should receive according to developments on the field: “Based on nearly 2,000 player-negotiated salaries for permanent transfers or contract extensions, CIES' own statistical model for football used in this study explains 83% of the observed differences between the amounts.”
The analysis takes into account sports variables from the last year (playing time, sportsmanship of matches and percentage of games as a starter), as well as the base position in which he was used over a 365-day period. Kylian Mbappe is the leader, with an estimated annual gross salary of €22.8 million (fixed part only).
Kylian Mbappe (in a duel with Conor Bradley) missed a penalty at Anfield in last season's Champions League duel, Liverpool – Real Madrid 2-0 / Photo: Imago
“Mbappe should take 40% less money at Madrid”
This amount is 40% less than the one received, as Real Madrid did not have to pay a transfer fee when they signed him in the summer of 2024, as well as his “superstar status which allows him to earn beyond his sporting performances”.
Mohamed Salah and Jude Bellingham complete the podium of the players who deserve the highest salaries in relation to the variables included in the presented model.
Thibaut Courtois ranks first among goalkeepers, Virgil van Dijk is number 1 among centre-backs, Achraf Hakimi leads among full-backs, João Neves among central or defensive midfielders, while Dominik Szoboszlai comes just behind Jude Bellingham in the category of attacking midfielders.
Marcus Thuram, in Barcelona – Inter 3-3 / Photo: Getty Images
The captain of Cristi Chivu at Inter is among the top ten footballers in the CIES Football Obervatory study. Lautaro Martinez is placed in eighth place, with 16.7 million euros gross per year, being equal to the amount that the Nerazzurri club transfers to its account. And just as Lamine Yamal had contracted before signing a contract extension with FC Barcelona.
Lautaro takes the “deserved” salary at Inter. Thuram, only half
The next player of the Serie A leader in the CIES hierarchy is the attacking partner of the Argentinian top scorer: Marcus Thuram would “deserve” to earn 16 million euros gross annually. More than double the one recorded at Inter (7.86 million gross, respectively 6 million net).
There are three players from Real Madrid in the top ten, apart from Mbappe and Bellingham there is Vinicius Jr. (10th position, with 16.2 million). Two from PSG, Joao Neves (17.3 million) and Ousmane Dembele (16.9), both from Liverpool, Mohamed Salah (17.9) and Dominic Szoboszlai (17.1) plus one from Atletico, Julian Alvarez (16.9).
