Southampton FC’s top 5 highest paid players as return to EFL Championship looms | OneFootball

The Saints' return to the second-tier has been confirmed after defeat to Tottenham Hotspur

Southampton's relegation to the Championship was confirmed on Sunday with defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur, and they will now have to start preparing for life back in the second-tier next season.

The Saints went up through the play-offs last term under Russell Martin, but were unable to transfer their form into the Premier League and have now been relegated to the second-tier with eight games of the campaign still left to play.

Croatian boss Ivan Juric has been relieved of his duties in the wake of their relegation being confirmed, after just 107 days in the role following Martin's own December sacking.

Numerous players are likely to follow suit this summer, with a squad overhaul on the horizon regardless of who is in charge at St Mary's. With that in mind, FLW have looked at Southampton's top five highest-paid players right now, according to Capology's estimates, all of whom are still contracted to the club for next season.

Right-back Yuki Sugawara joined Southampton from Dutch side AZ Alkmaar last summer, and he has been one of the few players at the club to actually impress at times this season in his maiden Premier League campaign.

The 24-year-old is believed to be one of numerous players in the Saints' squad that earns a weekly wage of £40,000, and his current contract runs until 2028, but he may well depart this summer with Italian giants Napoli reportedly interested.

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Kamaldeen Sulemana has endured a tough few seasons at St Mary's since Southampton forked out a club-record fee of around £22m for his services from French side Rennes in January 2023.

He also earns an estimated £40,000 each week at the club, but is another who may see his future lie elsewhere this summer, having featured just 19 times in the Premier League this season.

6 Ryan Fraser - £40,000 per week

Ryan Fraser spent last season on loan with the Saints from Newcastle United, and permanently joined the club ahead of this season on a two-year deal for their return to the Premier League after he helped them win promotion under Martin.

The 31-year-old has not had the desired impact at the club so far this term, however, with only eight league appearances up to now amid form and injury issues. He also earns £40,000 per week, according to Capology's estimates.

Veteran goalkeeper Alex McCarthy is approaching the end of his ninth season of service to Southampton, and he is set to be at the club until 2026 on his estimated £40,000 weekly wage.

The 35-year-old has made eight appearances in all competitions this season to take his tally of appearances for the Saints to over 150. He will likely remain as their back-up on their return to the second-tier regardless of Aaron Ramsdale's potential exit.

Rounding off the numerous Southampton players that are believed to earn around £40,000, according to Capology, is striker Cameron Archer, who joined the club for a reported £15m from Aston Villa last August.

The pacey frontman has already proven his talent in the Championship, but has been unable to transfer those performances to the top-flight this season, with only two goals in 28 league outings up to now.

Long-serving Polish international centre-back Jan Bednarek still has two years left on his Saints contract, which Capology estimate sees him take home around £70,000 per week.

The 28-year-old is close to surpassing 250 appearances for Southampton, having joined the club in 2017 from Lech Poznan. He recently spoke of his desire to "build something great" at the club, so his exit does not seem imminent despite a return to the Championship being on the horizon.

2 Joe Aribo - £70,000 per week

Southampton's joint-second highest earner is believed to be Nigerian international Joe Aribo, also on an estimated £70,000 per week. The dynamic midfielder made the move to the south coast from Rangers in 2022.

Aribo has been one of the Saints' better performers this term, and has three goals in 30 Premier League appearances so far. He may well be on his way out of the club soon, after the Daily Mail reported in January that he wants to leave in the summer amid interest from Besiktas.

1 Aaron Ramsdale - £120,000 per week

Aaron Ramsdale is far-and-away the Saints' best-paid player as it stands, with Capology stating that he earns an estimated weekly wage of around £120,000 to be their first-choice goalkeeper in the Premier League.

The England international shot-stopper suffered the third Premier League relegation of his career so far this past weekend, having also previously gone down to the Championship with Sheffield United and AFC Bournemouth. Despite that statistic, he will likely be of interest to numerous clubs in the upcoming transfer window due to his impressive reflexes and ability with the ball at his feet.