The Premier League’s most underpaid XI of 2026-27 with Man City & Spurs stars…

Transfer targets for Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United are part of a Premier League XI who are relatively underpaid.

While the notion of any Premier League footballer being underpaid is slightly ridiculous, these things are all relative.

Using figures from Capology, we’ve put together a Premier League XI who can be considered underpaid, lining up in a 4-4-2 formation.

GK: Bart Verbruggen (35k)

One of the Premier League’s most reliable goalkeepers, Verbruggen has been Brighton’s number one for the past three seasons.

Now also first choice for the Netherlands, it’s a surprise to learn the 23-year-old is on a relative pittance given his quality. For context, Bernd Leno is taking home £130k per week at Fulham.

Several Champions League clubs in England and Europe have been linked with his signature.

RB: Djed Spence (40k)

Spence became one of England’s World Cup heroes, capable of filling it on either flank and producing several whole-hearted performances.

It was also a surprise to several Tottenham fans, who’ve witnessed Spence’s inconsistency at club level for the past two seasons.

Inter Milan are rumoured to be interested in the defender and it’s hardly a surprise given his weekly wage is one of the lowest at Spurs.

CB: Sepp van den Berg (20k)

Two Brentford centre-backs make our XI, hardly surprising given their wage bill is the lowest outside of the three promoted clubs.

Even with that context, learning Van den Berg takes home £20k a week was a surprise. The highest-paid Premier League player, Erling Haaland, makes that in about seven hours.

CB: Nathan Collins (30k)

Collins is even more surprising, given he’s both Brentford and the Republic of Ireland’s captain.

The 25-year-old is one of the most underrated defenders in the Premier League, making 41 appearances for the Bees in all competitions last year.

LB: Nico O’Reilly (30k)

O’Reilly enjoyed a real breakout year in 2025-26, forcing his way into Manchester City’s first-choice XI and scoring both goals in the Carabao Cup final victory over Arsenal.

One of those full-backs who looks destined to become a midfielder, such is his ability on the ball, the youngster also started the World Cup as Thomas Tuchel’s preferred pick.

O’Reilly is still just 21 and will probably receive a hefty pay rise for his next contract.

A cautionary tale though; Rico Lewis, who enjoyed a similar hype just a few years previously, is apparently stuck on 25k and far down the City pecking order.

CM: Carlos Baleba (12.5k)

Balbea is widely one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League, replacing Moises Caicedo at Brighton with minimum fuss, and has attracted attention from several richer clubs.

While it would take a huge fee to extract the Cameroon international from the AMEX, wages are unlikely to be a problem if Capology’s figures are correct.

A weekly sum of £12.5k seems on the low side for a player of such quality and obvious potential.

CM: Adam Wharton (35k)

Like strawberry pasta and Thievery Corporation, Wharton appears destined to be terminally and unjustly underrated.

How the Crystal Palace man wasn’t picked for England’s World Cup squad, despite making actual Lothar Matthaus break into a purr during the Conference League final is beyond us.

And Wharton’s weekly wage of £35k is simply red meat for bigger clubs, if they can get over their strange aversion to signing him.

RW: Kevin Schade (10k)

Schade has scored 19 Premier League goals over the past two seasons, but is somehow listed as earning £10k a week on Capology.

Either the figures are wrong or Brentford are getting away with it; the 24-year-old is an FPL favourite for a reason.

LW: Iliman Ndiaye (45k)

There have been rumbles of discontent at Everton all summer, with last season’s tame finish piling the pressure on David Moyes.

Transfer business has been slow too; Hayden Hackney has joined from Middlesbrough, but there’s been precious few incomings for a squad that needs a refresh.

All of which has increased speculation around Ndiyae, Everton’s best attacker and currently taking home 45k per week.

No wonder Saudi clubs are circling, although Ndiyae’s father has squashed that particular rumour.

ST: Eli Junior Kroupi (20k)

Kroupi had Arsenal and Tottenham scrapping over his signature before a foot injury ruled him out for four months. Barcelona were reportedly keen too.

It’s no surprise the Bournemouth striker has been in high demand. He scored 13 goals last season, which was the most by a teenager in a single Premier League season.

His current weekly wage reflects his tender youth, rather than his ability. It’ll go up before too long.

ST: Wilson Isidor (25k)

One of Sunderland’s promotion heroes in 2025, Isidor adapted well to Premier League life and chipped in with six goals as the Black Cats finished seventh.

The striker also played for Haiti at this summer’s World Cup, scoring one of the goals of the tournament against Morocco.

Sunderland will possibly be looking for more in 2026-27, but Isidor’s contribution has already outstripped several higher-paid strikers in the division.