Premiership wages set to top £1bn

[Joe.]

Crazy

What's even crazier is that LWICD hasn't posted this news artcile before

[lookwhaticando]

I can't be everywhere.

--------------------------------

The wages are getting ridiculous... when crap like Ballack are reportedly on 130k a week, you know something is seriously wrong.

What we've seen, effectively, in the past few seasons is an arms race. The top 5 clubs on the continent are ramping up wages in a desperate bid to stop their best players leaving. One recalls the article some time ago that suggest Barcelona were willing to offer Ronaldinho a paltry three-hundred thousand quid a week to stave off interest from Chelsea. That's 15.6m quid a year alone in basic salary.

One assumes (hopes) that this deal was just a myth and he wasn't offered that contract in reality - but it still illustrates the problem. So desperate are clubs to hold onto their players (because players have the power now, not the clubs) they are beginning to offer wild wage packets. Thus, the arms race begins. Worried that Inter might try and prise Lampard away, they'll have to offer him much more money - well in excess of 100k a week... ditto for Terry. Two seasons ago, to ward off Chelsea, Gerrard's wages went through the roof. Then, just recently, Gerrard was offered yet another improved contract. Rio Ferdinand at Man U is allegedly on 120k a week - and he was dopey enough to get banned for missing a drugs test - making him the world's most expensive spectator.

A large part of the problem stem's from Abramovic's bottomless pit of money. With Chelsea now able to spend ridiculous amounts of money on transfers and wages, it's inflated the transfer market on the whole as clubs do everything they can to compete financially. It's not a healthy situation to be in.

[Joe.]

Yes, Chelsea are the clear over spenders:

Chelsea's outlay totalled £114m while four other clubs paid more than £50m.

Absolutely ludicrous