Examining the top earners for Birmingham City over the previous five years
Birmingham City have seen a lot of changes behind the scenes in the last five years.
Their squad has gone through many changes in that time, with the team consistently competing in the Championship throughout.
The Blues will now have their sights set on earning a Premier League place again within the next five years.
But the previous period has been more of a struggle for the Midlands club, who have flirted with relegation to League One in the last couple of seasons.
However, new ownership has brought fresh ambition at Blues so it could be an exciting few years ahead at St. Andrew’s, even if Tom Wagner’s era in control of the club is off to a bumpy start.
The American will be expected to back Tony Mowbray again in the summer as he looks to kick on into 2024/25 and beyond.
Here we use estimated figures from Capology to look at who the highest earners in the Birmingham squad have been over the last five years…
Highest earners at Birmingham this season
The highest earner in the current Birmingham squad is Krystian Bielik, with the Poland international taking home £20,000 per week.
Bielik joined the club on a permanent basis last summer after a successful loan spell in the previous campaign.
His arrival has seen the midfielder move straight to the top of the first team squad at St. Andrew’s in terms of salary.
Oliver Burke is the second-highest earner in the team, with the Scot currently on loan from German side Werder Bremen.
The 26-year-old is earning £18,000 a week, though it’s unclear how much of that Blues are paying, with Juninho Bacuna third in the pecking order on £17,885 per week.
Ivan Sunjic returned from a loan spell at Hertha Berlin in the summer and has cemented himself as a key part of the team.
The Croatian earns £17,500 per week, with Neil Etheridge rounding out the top five with the same weekly salary.
Highest earners at Birmingham in recent years
The highest earner in the squad last year was Tahith Chong, who was receiving £30,000 per week from the Championship side.
The winger was a key part of John Eustace’s side as they finished 17th in the table, which led to his transfer to Luton Town in the summer.
Other high earners from the previous campaign included Harlee Dean and Troy Deeney, who received £17,115 and £16,154 per week respectively.
| Birmingham City’s highest earners – last five seasons | ||
|---|---|---|
| Source: Capology.com | Weekly Wage (£) | Season |
| Krystian Bielik | 20,000 | 2023-24 |
| Tahith Chong | 30,000 | 2022-23 |
| Lyle Taylor | 20,000 | 2021-22 |
| Mikel San Jose | 26,538 | 2020-21 |
| Scott Hogan | 28,077 | 2019-20 |
Birmingham finished 20th in the 2021-22 season, in which Nottingham Forest loanee Lyle Taylor was the club’s best-paid player, earning £20,000 per week.
Ivan Sanchez was another big wage, receiving £ 17,500 a week as the Blues avoided relegation to League One by 10 points.
An 18th-place finish in the 2020-21 term saw Mikel San Jose top the list of Birmingham’s wages.
The Spaniard earned £26,538 per week during his sole season with the Midlands club, in which he made 27 league appearances for the Blues.
Andres Prieto was another fresh face inside the top five earners, making £15,192 per week.
The highest earner in the 2019-20 season was Scott Hogan, who was earning £ 28,077 a week.
The Irishman has since taken a pay cut to remain at St. Andrew’s, with the striker currently receiving £11,538 from the Championship side.
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