Premier League’s Top 5 highest paid substitutes listed
Juan Mata is presently the highest paid substitute in the Premier League, but the Manchester United ace wouldn’t be top of the list if it wasn’t for one player not even always making the bench.
Everyone knows that footballers’ wages in the modern era are incredibly high and usually with big money transfers or contract there comes a certain amount of expectation on players.
Sometimes though some big earners end up on the bench and that’s certainly been the case this season for Mata, who has started just eight league games this season, despite his reported £160,000-per-week.
That means he’s made £5.3 million as a substitute this season, according to ESPN, with Manchester City’s Joao Cancelo pocketing £4.3 million on second spot.
Bernard has not had the impact at Everton that the Toffees would have hoped for since his move in August 2018 and he’s started just 15 times in the league this season, coming on off the bench 11 times.
In fifth is Mesut Ozil. The Arsenal number 10 has started 18 times in the league this season but hasn’t actually made an appearance off the bench, which makes his money sat on the sides ridiculous.
Not only that his reported £350,000-a-week would have him further up the list but both Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta haven’t even picked him for the bench every week and he’s often been left out of the squad altogether.
Substitutes have certainly been getting used to not spending as much time sat around waiting in the second half of the season.
Since the restart teams have been allowed to use five substitutes, and most have, which has given the clubs with better squads an advantage.
It hasn’t helped the German World Cup winner though as he is yet to appear in a match since football came back in June.
His last game was against West Ham in March, when he actually started the game and played 89 minutes before coming off, as Arteta’s side won 1-0.
His future at the Emirates Stadium must be in question now and it feels like he has no part to play in Arteta’s future plans.