NEYMAR has double cause for celebration this week following his lavish birthday party after it was revealed the Brazilian is by far and away the top earner in Ligue 1.
The 28-year-old – who threw a lavish all-white bash at a Parisian nightclub on Sunday – is raking in FIVE times more than Cesc Fabregas at a staggering £2.6million-a-month.
Paris Saint-Germain duo Neymar and Kylian Mbappe are the two highest-paid stars in Ligue 1Credit: AFP or licensors
French newspaper L’Equipe revealed the highest salaries in Ligue 1, with Paris Saint-Germain filling the entire top-10 list.
In previous years, former Monaco striker Radamel Falcao would be the only non-PSG player making the cut, but he’s since moved to Galatasaray.
Now French champs PSG have total control of the list, with former Chelsea star Fabregas on a comparatively low £510,000-a-month and outside the top-10.
Here SunSport ranks the top-five…
Neymar
The Brazilian forward is the undisputed top earner in Ligue 1, taking home £2.6-a-month without bonuses.
Neymar isn’t just one of the world’s very best footballers, he is also one of the most branded stars with 35 endorsement deals for Nike and Beats, meaning the actual figure is EVEN higher.
The 28-year-old, who has been linked with a move away from PSG, may find himself priced out of a transfer as he earns more than a £1m a month compared to Arsenal’s £350,000-a-week star Mesut Ozil.
But Gerard Pique claimed last year that Barcelona’s stars would be ready to accept a pay cut if it helped the club re-sign Neymar.
Kylian Mbappe
Although the French World Cup winner looks set to remain in France for the foreseeable future, there is no doubt that he is a target of every major club.
Mbappe, who has reportedly agreed terms with Real Madrid once he decides to leave PSG, can expect an even higher pay rise on the £1.6m he rakes in already.
Yet the 21-year-old is remarkably only the second-highest-paid youngster in the world after Jadon Sancho signed a £190,000-a-week contract with Borussia Dortmund.
Thiago Silva
The Brazilian defender’s £1.3m-a-month wages may be the reason he is struggling to negotiate a new contract with PSG.
The 35-year-old has been with the French side since 2012 but is out of contract this summer.
Not including bonuses, Thiago Silva currently takes home as much as Liverpool’s £75m Virgil van Dijk (125k-a-week) and Manchester United’s world-record signing Harry Maguire (198k-a-week) combined!
Edinson Cavani
Atletico Madrid president’s Enrique Cerezo claimed a move for the Uruguayan fell through last month because of his exorbitant wage demands.
While Cavani, who is in the final six months of his PSG deal, does earn £1.1m every four weeks, his mother admitted her son would have moved to the Premier League if he cared about money.
Berta Gomez told Spanish newspaper AS: “Edinson did not want money to be a problem.
“If it had been for money he would have gone to Manchester United, Chelsea or Inter Miami, who made an important offer for him.”
Best of the Rest
Presnel Kimpembe (PSG) £570,000-a-month
Wissam Ben Yedder (Monaco) £550,000-a-month
Cesc Fabregas (Monaco) £510,000-a-month
Dimitri Payet (Marseille) £420,000-a-month
Kevin Strootman (Marseille) £420,000-a-month
Memphis Depay (Lyon) £360,000-a-month
Bertrand Traoré (Lyon) £300,000-a-month
Laurent Koscielny (Bordeaux) £200,000-a-month
Marquinhos/ Marco Verratti
Brazilian defender Marquinhos and Italian midfielder Marco Verratti are both regarded as two of the world’s best in their position and both take home £1m-a-month.
Former Roma ace Marquinhos, 25, is in his seventh season at PSG and has been linked with big-money moves to Manchester City and Real Madrid.
Meanwhile, Verratti underlined his importance to Thomas Tuchel after it was revealed that he has been one of the most in-form players in the world this season.
French outlet L’Equipe have revealed the highest earns in Ligue 1
Neymar prepares to cut giant cake as he enjoys all-white birthday bash with PSG pals
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
