Ligue 1: PSG Dominates Salaries, Dembélé Tops the Chart

Paris Saint-Germain continues to assert its dominance in Ligue 1, not only on the pitch but also in the wage hierarchy. According to an investigation published on April 2 by L’Équipe, the Parisian club is far ahead of all its rivals with extraordinary salaries, particularly that of its forward Ousmane Dembélé, who tops the league’s earnings.

Ousmane Dembélé, a recent Ballon d’Or contender and PSG’s star player, earns a gross monthly salary of €1.5 million, making him the highest-paid player in Ligue 1. He is followed by several well-compensated teammates, including captain Marquinhos (€1.12 million), Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi, and French international Lucas Hernandez (both at €1.1 million per month). French goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier rounds out the top 13 of PSG’s wage earners with €500,000 monthly. This wage gap is staggering when compared to the monthly averages of other clubs, particularly Toulouse.

On the coaching side, Spaniard Luis Enrique, PSG’s head coach, also leads the pack with a gross monthly salary of €1 million. He is even expected to become the highest-paid figure in the league with a projected salary increase to around €20 million annually. In comparison, his counterpart at Lyon, Paulo Fonseca, earns €350,000 per month, while Habib Beye at Marseille takes home around €230,000. At Toulouse, coach Carles Martinez Novell is paid approximately €50,000, placing him 14th among Ligue 1 managers.

Olympique de Marseille is the second-highest-paying club, with an average monthly wage of around €300,000 (up from €250,000 in 2025). Danish midfielder Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg is the best-paid non-PSG player, earning €500,000 gross per month. Monaco ranks third with an average salary of about €140,000. Toulouse, meanwhile, sits in 15th place, with a modest average of €35,000 gross monthly, down from the previous season.

Toulouse FC’s wage policy is notably cautious. Top earners like Aron Dönnum and Rasmus Nicolaisen make around €60,000 monthly, while others such as Mark McKenzie or Guillaume Restes earn €55,000, and Djibril Sidibé could reach €90,000 if certain performance targets are met. The club also relies on performance-based salaries and a squad renewal strategy focused on lower-cost emerging talents. This cost-cutting approach—combined with the departure of key players and the integration of youth—aims to stabilize the club’s finances in a league marked by sharp economic disparities.

The salary chasm between PSG and the rest of Ligue 1 underscores the financial might of the Parisian club in the league. With such a pronounced gap, it remains to be seen how other clubs—particularly Marseille, Monaco, and Toulouse—will manage to maintain competitiveness and appeal, both sportingly and financially, in this final stretch of the season.