For most players, joining a Premier League club almost guarantees a life of luxury. 

David de Gea is the top flight's highest earner after signing a contract extension with Manchester United worth £375,000-a-week. 

And earlier this week, when Sergio Romero crashed his Lamborghini, nobody had any real worries about the back-up goalkeeper being able to afford a new one.

Of course, it's no surprise that the Red Devils pay their playing staff so handsomely.

Last year, the 20-time champions reported a wage bill of £332 million, the highest ever for a Premier League team.

They're the sort of numbers we've come to expect from the balance sheets of the elite. 

The truth is most top clubs fork out millions to keep their human assets driving Ferraris and living in mansions.

Some, you might feel, are ludicrously overpaid - Christian Benteke gets £120,000-a-week while Liverpool's forgotten man Nathaniel Clyne pockets £70,000-a-week for not really doing much at all. And don't get us started on Paul Pogba's £290,000-a-week. 

However, there are other, much humbler tales of superstars who really deserve a pay rise.

With that in mind, here at GiveMeSport, we've trawled through the books using data from Spotrac and listed those who are on £10,000-a-week or less. And yes, we're aware that in the real world that's still rather a lot of money. 

Teemu Pukki (Norwich City) - £8,000 

Mr. Fantasy Football himself. The Finnish international has scored 11 goals in his first Premier League season, currently putting him level with Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling. In fact, he's found the back of the net more often than Roberto Firmino and Gabriel Jesus, for perspective. If Norwich could afford it, they'd surely be giving their star man a pay rise. 

Scott McTominay (Manchester United) - £10,000 

If ever there was proof that Manchester United's wage bill is way off kilter. Prior to his injury, McTominay was arguably their best player this season. The Scotsman has really come into his own in the last 18 months or so and when he returns from the treatment table, he should be straight in Ed Woodward's office. 

Curtis Jones (Liverpool) - £3.6k-a-week

Can we count Jones as a Premier League player? Just about, even if his most famous moment in a Liverpool shirt to date came with his rocket in the FA Cup win over Everton. We suspect that won't be his last and he is one of the youngsters Jurgen Klopp has also utilised in the league this season. 

Aaron Ramsdale (Bournemouth) - £6,000 

Ramsdale began on the season on just £3k a week but a new deal reportedly doubled his wages. That still means he's earning a pittance compared to most Premier League goalkeepers. Despite Bournemouth's problems, Ramsdale has been very impressive all season and shone again in the midweek win over Brighton. 

Matty Longstaff (Newcastle United) - £850 

The 19-year-old still goes home to live with his parents after a long day of scoring against Manchester United. A new contract is supposedly in the offing any day now. 

Sean Longstaff (Newcastle United) - £692 

As for Matty's brother Sean, the Magpies have told him he still needs to do more to earn an extension of his own. 

Keinan Davis (Aston Villa) - £5,000

Aston Villa are slowly edging the 21-year-old forward into the first team and he's played nine times in all competitions this season. 

John Lundstram (Sheffield United) - £4000

In fact, we could have listed a host of Lundstram's teammates as Sheffield United have 11 squad members on less than £10,000 a week. Indeed, their entire first XI take home less than Alexis Sanchez. Lundstram has been one of their standout performers, a real grafter and one who's proven himself indispensable in Chris Wilder's system. 

Dean Henderson (Sheffield United) - £10,000 

Only Alisson Becker and Kasper Schmeichel have conceded fewer goals than Sheffield United's on-loan goalkeeper. With the fifth most clean sheets in the division too, there's even been talk United want him back to provide serious competition for David de Gea next season. 

George Baldock (Sheffield United) - £4,000 

Having played for the likes of MK Dons, Northampton, Tamworth and Oxford for most of his career so far, it's great to see Baldock finally getting a shot at the big time - even if that hasn't gone hand in hand with the money he probably dreamed of when he was in the lower leagues. 


Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa) - £8,000

The 22-year-old has two assists to show for his 11 Premier League starts so far; not bad for a defender. Villa's finances have been under the microscope for the past couple of years, so it's not all that surprising to see a couple of their players feature here. 

Jack Simpson (Bournemouth)

The Bournemouth centre-back doesn't look quite ready for Premier League football on a regular basis and is expected to go on loan to the Championship before the end of January. 

Kortney Hause (Aston Villa) - £8,000 

Even Tom Heaton, Villa's highest earner, is only on £42,000 a week. That means at the other end of the scale there are players like Hause, whose whole weekly wage is picked up by some of his Premier League contemporaries in a single day.  

Rhian Brewster (Liverpool - on loan at Swansea) - £10,000 

Liverpool fans are expecting a bright future from this young man. The Reds' current line-up is understandably almost impossible to break into so in the meantime, he's been sent on loan to Swansea. 

Football's romantics might commend all of the above for plying their trade simply for the love of the game and not being dazzled by pound signs. 

Several other notable players have only recently smashed the aforementioned ceiling. For example, until Declan Rice signed a new deal at West Ham, the England international was on £3,000 a week. 

The same is also true of Hamza Choudhury at Leicester (£7,500) and Southampton's Yan Valery (£2,000). 

It just goes to show the Premier League really isn't a level playing field when it comes to wages.