Derby County Salaries 2025/26

Championship

Top Earner: S. Szmodics (€1.6M)

Lowest Earner: O. Eames (€27K)

S. Szmodics

Top Earner

O. Eames

Lowest Earner

Player Salaries

Estimated yearly salaries.

J. Widell Zetterström

€530K

€10K/week

Salary Insights

Key takeaways from the wage structure.

Midfield's Massive Wage Chasm

The club's midfield is defined by a significant wage gap. While Sammie Szmodics (€1.6M) and Lewis Travis (€1.3M) are among the club's top earners, the next highest-paid midfielder, Joe Ward, earns just €390K. This creates a gap of over €900K between the top two and the rest of the midfield unit.

The €1.3M Club: A Four-Player Tie

Four players from three different areas of the pitch earn the exact same salary of €1.3M. This group includes defenders Derry Murkin and Matthew Clarke, midfielder Lewis Travis, and forward Rhian Brewster.

Defense is the Most Expensive Unit

The club's largest wage investment is in its defense, with the eight defenders costing a combined €6.2M annually. This total expenditure surpasses that of the five forwards (€5.0M) and the six midfielders (€4.0M).

Star Forwards Command 82% of Attack Wages

The top three highest-paid forwards—Carlton Morris (€1.6M), Rhian Brewster (€1.3M), and Patrick Agyemang (€1.2M)—have a combined salary of €4.1M. This accounts for 82% of the total wage expenditure for the entire five-player forward line.

One Defender Earns More Than Four Midfielders

Either of the club's highest-paid defenders, Derry Murkin or Matthew Clarke, earns €1.3M annually. This single salary is greater than the combined wages of the four lowest-paid midfielders, who together earn approximately €1.15M.

Midfield Dominates The Low-Wage Bracket

Four of the five lowest-paid players in the squad are midfielders. Owen Eames (€27K), Oscar Fraulo (€360K), Liam Thompson (€370K), and Joe Ward (€390K) all occupy the bottom rungs of the pay scale.

Teenager Eames Earns Ten Times Less

At just €27K per year, 19-year-old midfielder Owen Eames's salary is more than ten times smaller than that of the next lowest-paid midfielder, Oscar Fraulo (€360K), highlighting a significant wage gap for the youngest squad member.

Derby's Four Distinct Salary Tiers

The club's wage structure is split into four clear tiers. An elite tier of players earning over €1.5M (Sammie Szmodics, Carlton Morris), a high-earner tier around €1.2M-€1.3M (e.g., Lewis Travis, Rhian Brewster), a mid-tier between €500K-€800K (e.g., Danny Batth, Max Johnston), and a lower tier under €500K.

Two Kings Share The Throne

The club's top earner position is shared. Attacking midfielder Sammie Szmodics and centre-forward Carlton Morris both earn an identical top salary of €1.6M per year.

Defensive Duo Earn Identical Top Wages

The highest earners in defense are left-back Derry Murkin and centre-back Matthew Clarke, who are both on identical contracts worth €1.3M annually.

Transfer rumour salaries: David Datro Fofana

Latest reported salary figures for players linked with a move to the club.

David Datro Fofana's potential move to Derby County is complicated by his reported £30,000 per week salary at Chelsea, which Derby may need to match.

39d ago

Potential wage savings from Patrick Agyemang and Jacob Widell Zetterström's departures

Potential departures and their salary impact.

Patrick Agyemang, currently earning €1.2M/year, is linked with moves to Crystal Palace, Southampton, or Leeds United. Jacob Widell Zetterström, with a salary of €530K/year, is rumoured to be moving to Nottingham Forest.

37d ago