It emerged how much the highest-paid Premier League stars like Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah have been paying in tax
17:00, 31 Jan 2026Updated 17:51, 31 Jan 2026
Erling Haaland is one the UK’s highest taxpayers(Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Erling Haaland has paid almost £17million in tax over the last 12 months. The Norwegian, who is reported to earn a basic salary of £500,000 per week, tops the Sunday Times Football Tax List ahead of Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah.
Haaland reportedly earned an additional £10m in image rights and bonus payments. The 25-year-old signed a new long-term deal with City last January through to 2034.
Meanwhile, Salah paid £14.5m in tax over the last 12 months. According to the Times, the Egyptian earns a £400,000 per-week basic salary and earned at least another £10 million a year from bonuses and image rights payments..
The revelation emerges during a challenging campaign for Salah, who was dropped from the squad for the Champions League victory over Inter Milan in December after stating he no longer had a relationship with head coach Arne Slot and that he had been “thrown under the bus” following a draw away to Leeds.
Salah quickly rejoined the team after discussions with the manager and following an apology to his colleagues. Nevertheless, rumours connecting him with a switch to the Saudi Pro League continue to persist.
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The monetary incentives for such a transfer are evident for two reasons: The eye-watering wages being offered to stars Cristiano Ronaldo and the fact that no income tax is imposed on footballers’ earnings in Saudi Arabia, compared to 45 per cent in the UK on salaries exceeding £125,000.
READ MORE: Liverpool transfer news: Reds open talks with Inter as midfielder reveals Anfield dreamREAD MORE: Man Utd announce defender transfer ahead of January window deadline
Third on the list is Manchester United’s Casemiro at £10.9m. United confirmed last week that Casemiro will depart the club when his contract runs out at the season’s close.
Raheem Sterling, who on Wednesday terminated his Chelsea contract by mutual agreement, contributed £9.8m in tax. That was £100,000 ahead of Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk.
Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, of Manchester United and Manchester City respectively, were level on £9m.
Salah would pay no tax if he moved to Saudi Arabia(Image: Getty Images)
The tax list was topped by bookmakers Betfred, who contributed £400m to the public finances, the equivalent of almost £1.1m a day. The likes of Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran and Anthony Joshua join Salah in the top 100.
Following publication of the report, a Treasury spokesperson said: “The UK remains an attractive place to live, invest and run a business, with a highly progressive tax system.
“Our tax-to-GDP ratio and main capital gains tax rate are lower than any other European G7 member, and the headline rate of corporation tax is capped for the rest of this Parliament at 25 per cent – the lowest in the G7.”
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