BOTTOM-PLACED Southampton earned more in Premier League prize money last season than the title-winning 2015-16 Leicester City side.
The Saints were meekly relegated on just 25 points.
Despite their woeful season, they pocketed £103.6million in prize money.
This was the smallest tally in the Prem last term, with 19th-placed Leeds grabbing £111.7m.
These figures are far smaller than the teams at the top of the league, with Manchester City earning £176.2m and Arsenal £172.2m.
Due to a remarkable growth in the prize pot, however, Saints’ £103m sum was more than Leicester earned for winning the league seven-and-a-half years ago.
READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
Claudio Ranieri’s miracle boys were given £93.3m in prize money after claiming the title.
This wasn’t even the highest sum of that season, with runners-up Arsenal receiving £101m.
The Gunners received more because they were televised more than the Foxes.
There were similar cases last season, with eighth-place Tottenham earning more than Brighton and Aston Villa ahead of them for the same reason.
Most read in Football
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
Spurs were paid £151.9m, compared to Brighton’s £149.7m and Villa’s £148.3m.
Chelsea also received more in 12th (£137.7m) than 11th-placed Crystal Palace (£133.3m).
Everton pocketed £120.5m after finishing 17th, more than Bournemouth got in 15th (£117.5) and Nottingham Forest in 16th (£118.6m).
West Ham, meanwhile, earned more in 14th (£129m) than Wolves in 13th (£124.6m).
Manchester United pocketed £168.3m for finishing third, with Newcastle grabbing £164.3m in fourth.
Liverpool were marginally behind the Toon both in the table and in prize money, earning £162.9m.
The Premier League flogged TV rights for between 2022 and 2025 for a staggering £10,05bn.
This new deal saw the prize money for the champions rise by £23m.
According to The Athletic, each place further up the table is now worth an additional £3.1m to clubs.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
