PSG payroll is the highest in football ever after signing Lionel Messi

Paris Saint-Germain have recorded their highest-ever payroll in football with the signing of Lionel Messi and others last season, which has pushed their spending to a staggering £643million a year.

The French club’s wage spending rose 45 percent after signing Messi, Sergio Ramos, Achraf Hakimi and others earlier in the 2021/22 season.

Messi reportedly earned £25.6million last season, with his salary added to other big earners at the club including Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.

Lionel Messi’s signing resulted in Paris Saint-Germain recording the highest payroll in football

PSG introduce their new signings (left to right) Achraf Hakimi, Georginio Wijnaldum, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Sergio Ramos and Lionel Messi ahead of the 2021/22 season

Messi’s salary has been added to that of high earners Neymar (left) and Kylian Mbappe (right).

According to Football Benchmark’s European Champions Report 2023, PSG’s salary total for 2021-22, the latest figures available, is the highest figure ever recorded by a football club.

And that was before French star Mbappe agreed his gargantuan new deal earlier this season after snubbing Real Madrid, who are apparently worth £547million over three years.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, PSG’s huge wage bill meant they posted a loss of £326million in their latest financial figures.

Back in September, PSG were fined £56m by UEFA for breaching Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, of which £9m had to be paid in full.

Barcelona ranks high on the list of highest payroll costs when they had Lionel Messi in their team

Messi, 35, just inspired Argentina to the world title and has just returned to Paris

The balance depends on the club meeting FFP targets in the coming years.

As it was pointed out on Twitterthe PSG figure dwarfs the highest wage bill in football to date – that was the £478m spend at Barcelona Messi played for back in 2019.

The third highest was also Barcelona in 2018 when they paid their players £466m.

PSG’s payroll costs for 2021-22 are significantly higher than any football has ever seen

In fact, Barcelona have finished in the top eight of the all-time payroll five times – all in the last five years.

But PSG’s desperate quest to win the Champions League for the first time has seen them spend ever more on their stars’ salaries.

Spain defender Ramos signed for PSG after leaving Real Madrid in the summer of 2021 and has been reported to be taking home around £440,000 a month after tax.

Hakimi, who signed for £51million from Inter Milan in July 2021, also raised wage bills. Other signings this summer included goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum.

PSG President Nasser Al Khelaifi welcomes Messi to the Parc des Prince in August 2021

Barely a year later, Al Khelaifi poses with Mbappe after the striker agreed a new deal

The Football Benchmark report states that PSG’s staff costs to revenue ratio was 109 percent last season.

The report states: “Paris Saint-Germain had the highest growth in labor costs among the major European champions [+45 per cent year on year]and reached a record total of €728m (£643m), the highest total ever reported by a football club.

“The summer signings of Lionel Messi, Achraf Hakimi and Gianluigi Donnarumma, among others, are the main reasons for this rise.”

Real Madrid posted a hefty wage bill last season but won the Champions League again

In the summer of 2022, PSG again spent heavily on the likes of Vitinha and Nuno Mendes but it was the new Mbappe contract that boosted their spending again.

Real Madrid’s 2021-22 payroll also tops the list, up 28 per cent to £458m and the fourth-highest ever.

But the Spanish club’s hefty payroll at least led to Champions League success last season, while PSG – who were closest when they lost the 2020 final to Bayern Munich – are yet to come.