Football as a business have evolved greatly in the past 15 years, and at the moment, clubs signing a player for £100m is not so big a deal. Years back, that was an amount to splash on an entire team, but while the same is still the worth of some lower teams, the big guns are paying five time that to a single player, in a week’s wages.

The amounts paid out are directly relatable to the stature of the player and the returns are expected in terms of great weekly performances. So, who are the best paid players in the Premier League? We sample the top five:

Cristiano Ronaldo:

Arguably one of the best players since bursting into the scene in the early 2000s, the Portuguese forward has defied the constraints of age to stand high among his peers. He recently joined Manchester United from Juventus, having left the same team 12 years ago. On his return, he tips the scales to become the highest paid player in the Premier League, with Spotrac reporting he is on £510,000 a week at Manchester United, which places him over £100,000 above the next high earner.

The pull Ronaldo comes with is already being felt, having scored twice in his first game since returning to the Premier League. With Manchester United craving success in Europe, he may have been the missing ingredient. Pivoted by Ronaldo, the team is expected to do well in its Champions League group and Wincomparator lines up bookies offers available for new users. For example, Bet365, which operates in 200 countries, has a £100 bonus in form of bet credits while 1XBet lines up a welcome bonus of up to $130. Another top offer can be found at 22Bet, of up to €122.

Kevin de Bruyne:

It seems the real money spinners are based in the city of Manchester. Kevin de Bryune of Manchester City is the next top earner, having renewed his contract with the Citizens last season. He is reportedly on a weekly wage of £385,000 which makes him the top earner at Manchester City.The Belgian international has been central to most of Manchester City’s recent successes and it explains his high pay.

Romelu Lukaku:

Another Belgian international, Romelu Lukaku, who plays for Chelsea is also among the high earners. The striker, who just joined Chelsea on his second stint, comes third in the list with wages of £325,000 a week. This amount makes him the highest paid player at Chelsea. He had a fine season at Inter last season and has been able to carry it on at Chelsea, with three goals in three games already.

Pierre Emerick Aubameyang:

The Arsenal skipper is also a high earner, even though his numbers are quite lower compared to his fellow top paid players in the league. A weekly wage of £250,000 after renewing his contract last season makes him the best pad player at the North London side.

Virgil van Dijk:

Dutch international Virgil van Dijk ranks as the best paid player at Liverpool. The former Celtic and Southampton man is in an unfamiliar position, for a defender, but his performances warrant the decent weekly wage of £220,000 that he earns. His absence was well felt last season as he spent most of the campaign out injured, and Liverpool struggled.