EREDIVISIE · DEFENDERS · 2026/27
Highest paid Eredivisie defenders
Lutsharel Geertruida is the best-paid defender in the Eredivisie, on £99,000 a week at PSV Eindhoven, or £5,148,000 a year. Thilo Kehrer is next on £77,000 at AFC Ajax. We hold wages for 248 Eredivisie defenders in 2026/27.
BEST PAID £99k
AVERAGE WAGE £8,088
SHARE OF WAGE BILL25%
TOP 10 A WEEK £438k
WAGES HELD248
The 50 best-paid Eredivisie defenders
Weekly wage, 2026/27. A player who plays in two areas of the pitch is on both lists, at the full wage.
| # | PLAYER | WEEKLY | YEARLY | CLUB | AGE | POSITION | NATION |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lutsharel Geertruida | £99,000£99k | £5,148,000£5.1m | PSV Eindhoven | 24 | Defender, defensive midfielder | Netherlands |
| 2 | Thilo Kehrer | £77,000£77k | £4,004,000£4.0m | AFC Ajax | 28 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Germany |
| 3 | Filip Kostic | £55,000£55k | £2,860,000£2.9m | PSV Eindhoven | 32 | Left wing-back, left winger | Serbia |
| 4 | Caio Henrique | £47,000£47k | £2,444,000£2.4m | AFC Ajax | 27 | Left-back, left midfielder | Brazil |
| 5 | Eric da Silva Moreira | £35,000£35k | £1,820,000£1.8m | Excelsior Rotterdam | 19 | Right-back, right winger | Germany |
| 6 | Sergiño Dest | £33,000£33k | £1,716,000£1.7m | PSV Eindhoven | 24 | Full-back | United States |
| 7 | Daley Blind | £31,000£31k | £1,612,000£1.6m | AFC Ajax | 35 | Centre-back | Netherlands |
| 8 | Owen Wijndal | £23,000£23k | £1,196,000£1.2m | AFC Ajax | 25 | Left-back, left midfielder | Netherlands |
| 9 | Adamo Nagalo | £20,000£20k | £1,040,000£1.0m | PSV Eindhoven | 22 | Centre-back | Burkina Faso |
| 10 | Jakov Medic | £18,000£18k | £936,000£936k | FC Utrecht | 26 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Croatia |
| 11 | Jerry St. Juste | £17,000£17k | £884,000£884k | Feyenoord Rotterdam | 28 | Centre-back | Netherlands |
| 12 | Jordan Lotomba | £17,000£17k | £884,000£884k | Feyenoord Rotterdam | 26 | Full-back, right midfielder | Switzerland |
| 13 | Jerdy Schouten | £17,000£17k | £884,000£884k | PSV Eindhoven | 28 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Netherlands |
| 14 | Kiliann Sildillia | £17,000£17k | £884,000£884k | PSV Eindhoven | 23 | Centre-back | France |
| 15 | Kevin Paredes | £14,000£14k | £728,000£728k | FC Utrecht | 22 | Left-back, winger | United States |
| 16 | Anton Gaaei | £13,000£13k | £676,000£676k | AFC Ajax | 22 | Right-back, right midfielder | Denmark |
| 17 | Lucas Rosa | £13,000£13k | £676,000£676k | AFC Ajax | 25 | Full-back, right midfielder | Brazil |
| 18 | Youri Baas | £12,000£12k | £624,000£624k | AFC Ajax | 22 | Centre-back | Netherlands |
| 19 | Gastón Ávila | £11,000£11k | £572,000£572k | AFC Ajax | 23 | Centre-back | Argentina |
| 20 | Ryan Flamingo | £11,000£11k | £572,000£572k | PSV Eindhoven | 22 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Netherlands |
| 21 | Jordy Clasie | £10,000£10k | £520,000£520k | AZ Alkmaar | 34 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Netherlands |
| 22 | Javi López | £10,000£10k | £520,000£520k | Feyenoord Rotterdam | 23 | Left-back | Spain |
| 23 | Jorthy Mokio | £9,100£9k | £473,200£473k | AFC Ajax | 17 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Belgium |
| 24 | Rion Ichihara | £9,000£9k | £468,000£468k | AZ Alkmaar | 20 | Defender | Japan |
| 25 | Mateo Chávez | £8,900£9k | £462,800£463k | AZ Alkmaar | 21 | Left-back | Mexico |
| 26 | Givairo Read | £8,200£8k | £426,400£426k | Feyenoord Rotterdam | 19 | Full-back, right midfielder | Netherlands |
| 27 | Tsuyoshi Watanabe | £8,000£8k | £416,000£416k | Feyenoord Rotterdam | 28 | Centre-back | Japan |
| 28 | Seiya Maikuma | £7,600£8k | £395,200£395k | AZ Alkmaar | 27 | Right-back | Japan |
| 29 | Thomas Beelen | £7,600£8k | £395,200£395k | Feyenoord Rotterdam | 24 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Netherlands |
| 30 | Aaron Bouwman | £7,500£8k | £390,000£390k | AFC Ajax | 17 | Centre-back | Netherlands |
| 31 | Armando Obispo | £7,500£8k | £390,000£390k | PSV Eindhoven | 26 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Curaçao |
| 32 | Mika Mármol | £6,900£7k | £358,800£359k | Feyenoord Rotterdam | 24 | Centre-back | Spain |
| 33 | Mauro Júnior | £6,900£7k | £358,800£359k | PSV Eindhoven | 26 | Full-back, defensive midfielder, left winger | Brazil |
| 34 | Andrea Natali | £6,500£7k | £338,000£338k | AZ Alkmaar | 17 | Centre-back | Italy |
| 35 | Bart Nieuwkoop | £6,500£7k | £338,000£338k | Feyenoord Rotterdam | 29 | Right-back | Netherlands |
| 36 | Denso Kasius | £6,400£6k | £332,800£333k | AZ Alkmaar | 22 | Full-back, right midfielder | Netherlands |
| 37 | Yarek Gąsiorowski | £6,300£6k | £327,600£328k | PSV Eindhoven | 20 | Centre-back | Spain |
| 38 | Hidde ter Avest | £6,200£6k | £322,400£322k | Willem II | 28 | Centre-back | Netherlands |
| 39 | Jinairo Johnson | £6,100£6k | £317,200£317k | AFC Ajax | 18 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Jamaica |
| 40 | Mats Deijl | £5,900£6k | £306,800£307k | Feyenoord Rotterdam | 27 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Netherlands |
| 41 | Mees Hilgers | £5,900£6k | £306,800£307k | sc Heerenveen | 24 | Centre-back | Indonesia |
| 42 | Gijs Smal | £5,200£5k | £270,400£270k | Feyenoord Rotterdam | 27 | Left-back, left midfielder | Netherlands |
| 43 | Jordan Bos | £5,100£5k | £265,200£265k | Feyenoord Rotterdam | 22 | Left-back | Australia |
| 44 | Nick Viergever | £4,900£5k | £254,800£255k | PEC Zwolle | 35 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Netherlands |
| 45 | Madi Monamay | £4,900£5k | £254,800£255k | PSV Eindhoven | 19 | Centre-back | Belgium |
| 46 | Robin Pröpper | £4,700£5k | £244,400£244k | FC Twente | 31 | Centre-back | Netherlands |
| 47 | Stav Lemkin | £4,600£5k | £239,200£239k | FC Twente | 22 | Centre-back | Israel |
| 48 | Bart van Rooij | £4,500£5k | £234,000£234k | FC Twente | 24 | Right-back | Netherlands |
| 49 | Alfons Sampsted | £4,500£5k | £234,000£234k | Go Ahead Eagles | 27 | Right-back | Iceland |
| 50 | Bas Kuipers | £4,500£5k | £234,000£234k | Sparta Rotterdam | 30 | Left-back | Netherlands |
What each position earns in the Eredivisie
Average weekly wage of the players aged 22 or over we hold a wage for
Defenders take 25% of what the Eredivisie pays its players of that age. The four shares add up to the whole bill, because a player who plays in two areas gives half the wage to each.
The clubs that pay their defenders the most
Every defender wage we hold at each Eredivisie club, added together, a week
PSV Eindhoven pay 23 defenders £287,199 a week between them, and Lutsharel Geertruida takes 34% of it.
The best-paid defender at every Eredivisie club
19 clubs, 2026/27, with where each ranks among the league's defenders
| CLUB | PLAYER | WEEKLY | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSV Eindhoven | Lutsharel Geertruida | £99,000£99k | 1 |
| AFC Ajax | Thilo Kehrer | £77,000£77k | 2 |
| Excelsior Rotterdam | Eric da Silva Moreira | £35,000£35k | 5 |
| FC Utrecht | Jakov Medic | £18,000£18k | 10 |
| Feyenoord Rotterdam | Jerry St. Juste | £17,000£17k | 11 |
| AZ Alkmaar | Jordy Clasie | £10,000£10k | 21 |
| Willem II | Hidde ter Avest | £6,200£6k | 38 |
| sc Heerenveen | Mees Hilgers | £5,900£6k | 41 |
| PEC Zwolle | Nick Viergever | £4,900£5k | 44 |
| FC Twente | Robin Pröpper | £4,700£5k | 46 |
| Go Ahead Eagles | Alfons Sampsted | £4,500£5k | 49 |
| Sparta Rotterdam | Bas Kuipers | £4,500£5k | 50 |
| N.E.C. Nijmegen | Eli Dasa | £4,300£4k | 51 |
| Fortuna Sittard | Ivo Pinto | £4,100£4k | 53 |
| ADO Den Haag | Jonas Jensen-Abbew | £4,100£4k | 52 |
| FC Groningen | Thijmen Blokzijl | £2,600£3k | 81 |
| SC Cambuur | Billy van Duijl | £2,500£3k | 93 |
| Heracles Almelo | Djevencio van der Kust | £2,400£2k | 100 |
| SC Telstar | Jeff Hardeveld | £830£830 | 157 |
The best-paid defender in every men's league
43 leagues, ordered by their best-paid defender. The Eredivisie ranks tenth.
| LEAGUE | BEST PAID | WEEKLY | AVERAGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Pro League | Kalidou Koulibaly | £497,000£497k | £40,351£40k |
| Premier League | Virgil van Dijk | £350,000£350k | £69,840£70k |
| Bundesliga | Dayot Upamecano | £331,000£331k | £42,331£42k |
| Ligue 1 | Lucas Hernández | £316,000£316k | £27,702£28k |
| La Liga | João Cancelo | £249,000£249k | £37,418£37k |
| Serie A | John Stones | £200,000£200k | £36,415£36k |
| Süper Lig | Milan Škriniar | £166,000£166k | £15,078£15k |
| Superleague Greece | Stefan de Vrij | £117,000£117k | £10,420£10k |
| Championship | Kieran Trippier | £115,000£115k | £18,082£18k |
| Eredivisie | Lutsharel Geertruida | £99,000£99k | £8,088£8k |
| Major League Soccer | Jordi Alba | £85,000£85k | £7,805£8k |
| Scottish Premiership | Ben Godfrey | £80,000£80k | £5,860£6k |
| Primeira Liga | Jakub Kiwior | £58,000£58k | £5,910£6k |
| La Liga 2 | David López | £58,000£58k | £4,473£4k |
| Russian Premier League | Matheus Reis | £57,000£57k | £12,772£13k |
| Brasileirão Série A | Guillermo Maripán | £53,000£53k | £8,284£8k |
| Belgian Pro League | Matteo Dams | £49,000£49k | £5,133£5k |
| League One | Wes Morgan | £46,000£46k | £5,700£6k |
| 2. Bundesliga | Yannick Gerhardt | £42,000£42k | £8,296£8k |
| Super Liga | Nicolás Otamendi | £41,000£41k | £3,253£3k |
| Danish Superliga | Rasmus Kristensen | £39,000£39k | £5,418£5k |
| Ekstraklasa | Attila Szalai | £36,000£36k | £2,883£3k |
| Serie B | Federico Baschirotto | £33,000£33k | £6,876£7k |
| Czech First League | David Jurásek | £29,000£29k | £1,857£2k |
| Chinese Super League | Matheus Jussa (Matheus Isaias dos Santos) | £27,000£27k | £4,788£5k |
| Liga MX | Kenedy | £25,000£25k | £6,926£7k |
| Austrian Bundesliga | Stefan Lainer | £21,000£21k | £4,095£4k |
| Ligue 2 | Frédéric Guilbert | £18,000£18k | £4,556£5k |
| J1 League | Gotoku Sakai | £15,000£15k | £3,457£3k |
| Croatian First League | Ronaël Pierre-Gabriel | £15,000£15k | £2,078£2k |
| Thai League | Erik Sviatchenko | £14,000£14k | £2,172£2k |
| Eliteserien | Hrannar Snær Magnússon | £13,000£13k | £1,630£2k |
| Belgian Challenger Pro League | Thomas Foket | £8,600£9k | £1,529£2k |
| League Two | Alfie Dorrington | £8,500£9k | £2,352£2k |
| Categoría Primera A | Frank Fabra | £8,300£8k | £3,994£4k |
| Scottish Championship | Leon King | £8,000£8k | £952£952 |
| A-League | Jacob Farrell | £6,100£6k | £1,262£1k |
| Indian Super League | Anwar Ali | £4,500£5k | £595£595 |
| National League | Jake Rooney | £4,100£4k | £1,165£1k |
| I-League | Jamie McCart | £4,100£4k | £547£547 |
| Veikkausliiga | Alfie Cicale | £2,500£3k | £646£646 |
| Canadian Premier League | Curtis Ofori | £1,400£1k | £443£443 |
| Meistriliiga | Modou Tambedou | £484£484 | £152£152 |
Frequently asked questions
Who is the highest paid defender in the Eredivisie?
Lutsharel Geertruida of PSV Eindhoven, on £99,000 a week in 2026/27, or £5,148,000 a year. Thilo Kehrer of AFC Ajax is second on £77,000 a week.
How much do Eredivisie defenders earn?
The average Eredivisie defender aged 22 or over earns £8,088 a week, and the median one £3,200. Defenders take 25% of what the Eredivisie pays its players of that age.
Which Eredivisie club pays its defenders the most?
PSV Eindhoven, £287,199 a week across the 23 defenders we hold a wage for, led by Lutsharel Geertruida on £99,000.
Who is the highest paid defender in football?
Of the 43 men's leagues we rank defenders in, the best-paid is Kalidou Koulibaly of Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club in the Saudi Pro League, on £497,000 a week. The best-paid in the Eredivisie ranks tenth of the 43 leagues on that measure.
Where to next
The same Eredivisie squads, cut a different way
See the highest paid Eredivisie players in every position, the best-paid player at every club, what Eredivisie players are paid at every age, or the Eredivisie wage bill, club by club.