Report: ‘Special’ Liverpool player is now 5th on world football’s rich list

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Mohamed Salah is fifth on Forbes’ football rich list. The Liverpool forward places just ahead of Erling Haaland.

Forbes named their top 10 richest players in world football this week. There was a place for Mohamed Salah, too, with Liverpool’s no.11 coming in fifth.

They claim his earnings – around £48m for the 2022/23 season – combine £31m from football with around £17m coming from ‘off-field’ endorsements. It’s a sizeable number for the Egyptian.

The latter figure is what sees him leave 6th-place Erling Haaland in the dust. Forbes estimate Haaland earns roughly £3m away from football this season, the joint-lowest in the top 10.

But while Salah makes the top five, he’s nowhere near the players ahead of him. Neymar sits in fourth, estimated to earn £78m this season.

Then things just get crazier. Cristiano Ronaldo is third at an estimated £90m, with Lionel Messi above him at £108m.

For the first time since Forbes starting doing the list, there’s a new no.1 – Kylian Mbappé. He’ll make about £115m this season, almost all of which comes from Paris Saint-Germain.

In fact, Forbes believes that Mbappé’s earnings in football alone would place him in top spot. His off-field earnings are actually slightly lower than Salah’s.

Mohamed Salah makes football rich list

It does feel a little strange to see a Liverpool player feature so prominently on a list like this. Salah’s new contract obviously plays a significant role, though.

But he’s still nowhere near the players right at the top of the game. Our big worry, though, isn’t about Salah. Haaland sits in 6th and we wonder if Jude Bellingham sees a similar outcome with his big transfer in 2023.

Liverpool surely couldn’t afford to put him on these kinds of wages – two players inside the top 10 would be crazy. Only PSG, who ridiculously have three of the top four, and Manchester City manage that. Both are clubs with alternative ways of producing money.

For this season, though, Liverpool will just have the one. Let’s hope he proves to be worth it.