'Premier star set for £10m a year'
Updated on 31 May 2007
The Premier League is set to see its first £10-million-a-year player within three seasons thanks to its new £2.7 billion TV deal.
And top agent Sky Andrew believes "it is only right" that top-flight stars benefit even more from the league's increasing wealth.
Andrew, whose clients include Sol Campbell and Jermain Defoe, said: "The money has increased and as we saw in the recent play-off game, it was worth £60 million to the winning club. Derby are now in the game, they are in the Premier League.
"It is only right if clubs are generating that kind of money from merchandising, gate receipts and Sky (TV) money that footballers should be rewarded accordingly."
According to Deloitte's annual review of football finance, the average Premier League player will earn £1.1 million next year and that is set to rise in coming years.
Dan Jones, partner of Deloitte's sports business group, said: "We do expect the average annual earnings for a Premier League player next season will be in the region of £1.1 million and that over the next three years we will see English football's first player to earn £10 million per annum from a club, equivalent to £200,000 per week."
Andrew believes that clubs will have to keep paying increasing amounts in wages to compete at the top, adding: "Competition in the Premier League is getting more and more fierce. In order to stay in the Premier League they have to get the best players. It is supply and demand."
Last year wages shot up 9 per cent after a 3 per cent dip during the 2004 / 05 campaign and with the so-called 'Big Four' of Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool looking to challenge in Europe too, there would seem to be no let-up in sight.
A gap is developing between the Premier League top clubs and the rest of the top flight. There is also concern at the widening gap between the Premier League and Championship clubs.
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