The Big 4 accountancy firm Deloitte has calculated that wages for Premier League footballers will soon be in excess of £1 billion.
In a recent annual review of Premiership finances for the last year, Deloitte discovered that wages climbed by nine per cent to £854 million.
Next year, a new TV deal for Premier League games will start, which is forecast to take the annual wage bill to £1.7 billion.
The director of the Deloitte's sports business group, Alan Switzer, said: "A lot of these new owners have had sporting success but also considerable financial success."
London high-flyers Chelsea had the largest wage bill, paying £114 million to players like Germany captain Michael Ballack and striking sensation Didier Drogba.
Meanwhile, the gulf in wages between the average Premier League club and its counterparts in the Championship has stretched to £56 million and could grow to £70 million next season, Deloitte found.
Liverpool's midfield marshal, Steven Gerrard, fresh from his Champions League disappointment in Athens, is reportedly on the verge of signing a new four-year deal worth £30 million.
© Adfero Ltd
