Players such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe have often been linked with the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea, but The Sun has now controversially claimed that even the richest Premier League clubs could not afford the game's biggest superstars.
Tired of reading? Click through the gallery above to see eight players, and what they currently earn, who are said to be too expensive for EPL clubs, according to The Sun.
The English publication has suggested that eight of the game's biggest stars are out of reach for Premier League sides because even the wealthy top six teams could not afford the massive wages plus potential whopping transfer fees for the players, while complying with Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.
Messi, with weekly wages of £1.825 million (R34.6 million), according to The Sun, tops the list, followed by Ronaldo, who is said to pocket £1.025 million (R19.4 million) a week at Juventus.
Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann completes the podium after agreeing to weekly wages of £725 000 (R14.2 million) in his latest contract extension.
Watch: Giggs on Messi & Ronaldo
Neymar, with £675 000 (R12.8 million) a week, Gareth Bale (£650 000 (R12.3 million) weekly) and Luis Suarez (£625 000 (R11.8 million)) follow in fourth, fifth and sixth place, respectively.
Philippe Coutinho's weekly wages of £500 000 (R9.5 million) are close to what Alexis Sanchez is reportedly getting at Manchester United, with the Chilean said to earn between £400 000 (R7.6 million) and £450 000 (R8.5 million) a week after joining the club in January 2018, while Mbappe's £375 000 (R7.1 million) wage is below Sanchez's weekly income.
The Sun added that all the abovementioned players – unlike Sanchez, whose contract had only six months left when he signed for United – would require whopping transfer fees too, higher than £150 million (2.8 billion), and as a consequence, not even the wealthiest clubs in England can afford them without breaking FFP rules.
Read: 9 Richest Footballers In The World, Past & Present
Note: All salary figures in this article are based on information from The Sun, and represent weekly wages before tax.
Do you believe that English sides cannot afford football's biggest superstars? Have your say in the comments section below.
