J1 LEAGUE · MIDFIELDERS · 2026/27
Highest paid J1 League midfielders
Oriol Romeu is the best-paid midfielder in the J1 League, on £35,000 a week at Avispa, or £1,820,000 a year. Jackson Irvine is next on £17,000 at Cerezo Osaka. We hold wages for 134 J1 League midfielders in 2026/27.
BEST PAID £35k
AVERAGE WAGE £4,063
SHARE OF WAGE BILL21%
TOP 10 A WEEK £143k
WAGES HELD134
The 50 best-paid J1 League midfielders
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 | Oriol Romeu | £35,000£35k | £1,820,000£1.8m | Avispa | 33 | Defensive midfielder | Spain |
| 2 | Jackson Irvine | £17,000£17k | £884,000£884k | Cerezo Osaka | 32 | Defensive midfielder | Australia |
| 3 | Gaku Shibasaki | £15,000£15k | £780,000£780k | Kashima Antlers | 33 | Defensive midfielder | Japan |
| 4 | Gen Shoji | £13,000£13k | £676,000£676k | FC Machida Zelvia | 32 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Japan |
| 5 | Ibrahim Dresevic | £12,000£12k | £624,000£624k | FC Machida Zelvia | 28 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Kosovo |
| 6 | Hiroto Taniguchi | £12,000£12k | £624,000£624k | Kawasaki Frontale | 25 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Japan |
| 7 | Kento Hashimoto | £10,000£10k | £520,000£520k | FC Tokyo | 31 | Defensive midfielder | Japan |
| 8 | Yuto Nagatomo | £10,000£10k | £520,000£520k | FC Tokyo | 38 | Full-back, wide midfielder | Japan |
| 9 | Kento Misao | £10,000£10k | £520,000£520k | Kashima Antlers | 29 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Japan |
| 10 | Diego | £9,400£9k | £488,800£489k | Shimizu S-Pulse | 29 | Defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder | Brazil |
| 11 | Tatsuki Seko | £9,000£9k | £468,000£468k | Urawa Reds | 27 | Right-back, defensive midfielder | Japan |
| 12 | Hiroyuki Mae | £8,200£8k | £426,400£426k | FC Machida Zelvia | 29 | Defensive midfielder | Japan |
| 13 | Hiroaki Okuno | £8,200£8k | £426,400£426k | Sagamihara Topolino | 35 | Defensive midfielder | Japan |
| 14 | Kei Koizumi | £8,000£8k | £416,000£416k | Shimizu S-Pulse | 30 | Right wing-back, defensive midfielder | Japan |
| 15 | Kei Chinen | £8,000£8k | £416,000£416k | F Marinos | 30 | Defensive midfielder | Japan |
| 16 | Ryuji Izumi | £7,700£8k | £400,400£400k | Nagoya Grampus | 31 | Defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder | Japan |
| 17 | Shinji Kagawa | £7,600£8k | £395,200£395k | Cerezo Osaka | 36 | Defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder | Japan |
| 18 | Samuel Gustafson | £7,600£8k | £395,200£395k | Urawa Reds | 30 | Defensive midfielder | Sweden |
| 19 | Yuta Higuchi | £7,300£7k | £379,600£380k | Kashima Antlers | 28 | Central midfielder | Japan |
| 20 | Hayao Kawabe | £7,200£7k | £374,400£374k | Sanfrecce | 29 | Defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder | Japan |
| 21 | Sho Inagaki | £6,600£7k | £343,200£343k | Nagoya Grampus | 33 | Defensive midfielder | Japan |
| 22 | Takumu Kawamura | £6,600£7k | £343,200£343k | Sanfrecce | 25 | Defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder | Japan |
| 23 | Takahiro Ohgihara | £6,600£7k | £343,200£343k | Vissel Kobe | 33 | Defensive midfielder | Japan |
| 24 | Dion Cools | £6,400£6k | £332,800£333k | Cerezo Osaka | 29 | Centre-back, right midfielder | Malaysia |
| 25 | Yûta Nakayama | £6,300£6k | £327,600£328k | FC Machida Zelvia | 28 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Japan |
| 26 | Keigo Higashi | £6,000£6k | £312,000£312k | FC Tokyo | 34 | Defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder | Japan |
| 27 | Takaaki Shichi | £5,600£6k | £291,200£291k | Sanfrecce | 31 | Left-back, left midfielder | Japan |
| 28 | Tsukasa Shiotani | £5,600£6k | £291,200£291k | Sanfrecce | 36 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Japan |
| 29 | Yôsuke Ideguchi | £5,300£5k | £275,600£276k | Vissel Kobe | 28 | Central midfielder | Japan |
| 30 | Kodjo Aziangbé | £5,100£5k | £265,200£265k | F Marinos | 21 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Togo |
| 31 | Kyohei Noborizato | £5,000£5k | £260,000£260k | Cerezo Osaka | 34 | Left-back, left midfielder | Japan |
| 32 | Matheus Bueno | £4,900£5k | £254,800£255k | Kashima Antlers | 26 | Defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder | Brazil |
| 33 | Riki Harakawa | £4,700£5k | £244,400£244k | Kashiwa Reysol | 31 | Defensive midfielder | Japan |
| 34 | Shunta Tanaka | £4,600£5k | £239,200£239k | Cerezo Osaka | 28 | Defensive midfielder | Japan |
| 35 | Tomoki Takamine | £4,600£5k | £239,200£239k | Nagoya Grampus | 27 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Japan |
| 36 | Taishi Matsumoto | £4,600£5k | £239,200£239k | Sanfrecce | 26 | Defensive midfielder | Japan |
| 37 | Takuya Kida | £4,600£5k | £239,200£239k | F Marinos | 30 | Defensive midfielder | Japan |
| 38 | Hokuto Shimoda | £4,200£4k | £218,400£218k | FC Machida Zelvia | 33 | Defensive midfielder | Japan |
| 39 | Keiya Shiihashi | £4,000£4k | £208,000£208k | Avispa | 28 | Defensive midfielder | Japan |
| 40 | Kohei Okuno | £4,000£4k | £208,000£208k | Avispa | 25 | Defensive midfielder | Japan |
| 41 | Koki Morita | £4,000£4k | £208,000£208k | Tokyo Verdy 1969 | 24 | Midfielder | Japan |
| 42 | Kota Watanabe | £4,000£4k | £208,000£208k | Vissel Kobe | 26 | Defensive midfielder | Japan |
| 43 | Park Seung-Uk | £3,800£4k | £197,600£198k | Shimizu S-Pulse | 28 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | South Korea |
| 44 | Ryohei Shirasaki | £3,700£4k | £192,400£192k | FC Machida Zelvia | 32 | Defensive midfielder | Japan |
| 45 | Takahiro Ko | £3,600£4k | £187,200£187k | FC Tokyo | 27 | Defensive midfielder | Japan |
| 46 | Sachiro Toshima | £3,600£4k | £187,200£187k | Kashiwa Reysol | 29 | Defensive midfielder | Japan |
| 47 | Seiya Baba | £3,600£4k | £187,200£187k | Kashiwa Reysol | 23 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Japan |
| 48 | Takuji Yonemoto | £3,600£4k | £187,200£187k | Kyoto Sanga F.C. | 34 | Defensive midfielder | Japan |
| 49 | Tomoya Koyamatsu | £3,600£4k | £187,200£187k | Nagoya Grampus | 30 | Midfielder | Japan |
| 50 | Takahiro Sekine | £3,600£4k | £187,200£187k | Urawa Reds | 30 | Full-back, wide midfielder | Japan |
What each position earns in the J1 League
Average weekly wage of the players aged 22 or over we hold a wage for
Midfielders take 21% of what the J1 League 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 midfielders the most
Every midfielder wage we hold at each J1 League club, added together, a week
FC Machida Zelvia pay 10 midfielders £52,759 a week between them, and Gen Shoji takes 25% of it.
The best-paid midfielder at every J1 League club
21 clubs, 2026/27, with where each ranks among the league's midfielders
| CLUB | PLAYER | WEEKLY | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avispa | Oriol Romeu | £35,000£35k | 1 |
| Cerezo Osaka | Jackson Irvine | £17,000£17k | 2 |
| Kashima Antlers | Gaku Shibasaki | £15,000£15k | 3 |
| FC Machida Zelvia | Gen Shoji | £13,000£13k | 4 |
| Kawasaki Frontale | Hiroto Taniguchi | £12,000£12k | 6 |
| FC Tokyo | Kento Hashimoto | £10,000£10k | 7 |
| Shimizu S-Pulse | Diego | £9,400£9k | 10 |
| Urawa Reds | Tatsuki Seko | £9,000£9k | 11 |
| Sagamihara Topolino | Hiroaki Okuno | £8,200£8k | 13 |
| F Marinos | Kei Chinen | £8,000£8k | 15 |
| Nagoya Grampus | Ryuji Izumi | £7,700£8k | 16 |
| Sanfrecce | Hayao Kawabe | £7,200£7k | 20 |
| Vissel Kobe | Takahiro Ohgihara | £6,600£7k | 23 |
| Kashiwa Reysol | Riki Harakawa | £4,700£5k | 33 |
| Tokyo Verdy 1969 | Koki Morita | £4,000£4k | 41 |
| Kyoto Sanga F.C. | Takuji Yonemoto | £3,600£4k | 48 |
| Gamba Osaka | Tokuma Suzuki | £2,600£3k | 67 |
| Fagiano Okayama | Ibuki Fujita | £2,100£2k | 75 |
| JEF United Chiba | Hinata Kida | £1,200£1k | 97 |
| Mito Hollyhock | Hugo Leonardo | £738£738 | 111 |
| V-Varen Nagasaki | Kanta Doi | £480£480 | 121 |
The best-paid midfielder in every men's league
43 leagues, ordered by their best-paid midfielder. The J1 League ranks 23rd.
| LEAGUE | BEST PAID | WEEKLY | AVERAGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Pro League | Otávio | £472,000£472k | £49,687£50k |
| Süper Lig | N'Golo Kanté | £348,000£348k | £21,488£21k |
| Bundesliga | Joshua Kimmich | £315,000£315k | £39,483£39k |
| Premier League | Bruno Fernandes | £300,000£300k | £76,710£77k |
| Major League Soccer | Casemiro | £300,000£300k | £11,731£12k |
| Ligue 1 | Marquinhos | £279,000£279k | £30,015£30k |
| La Liga | Trent Alexander-Arnold | £249,000£249k | £40,838£41k |
| Serie A | John Stones | £200,000£200k | £44,528£45k |
| Primeira Liga | João Palhinha | £199,000£199k | £11,158£11k |
| Championship | Kalvin Phillips | £165,000£165k | £20,131£20k |
| Croatian First League | Ismaël Bennacer | £117,000£117k | £4,206£4k |
| Brasileirão Série A | Arthur | £99,000£99k | £10,842£11k |
| Eredivisie | Lutsharel Geertruida | £99,000£99k | £9,142£9k |
| 2. Bundesliga | Maximilian Arnold | £74,000£74k | £11,170£11k |
| Russian Premier League | Wendel | £71,000£71k | £16,664£17k |
| Liga MX | Carlos Gruezo | £64,000£64k | £6,811£7k |
| League One | Boubakary Soumaré | £58,000£58k | £6,405£6k |
| Serie B | Ali Al Musrati | £55,000£55k | £8,344£8k |
| La Liga 2 | Donny van de Beek | £54,000£54k | £5,199£5k |
| Super Liga | Leandro Paredes | £44,000£44k | £4,100£4k |
| Chinese Super League | Ibrahim Amadou | £42,000£42k | £5,544£6k |
| Scottish Premiership | Callum McGregor | £39,000£39k | £5,790£6k |
| J1 League | Oriol Romeu | £35,000£35k | £4,063£4k |
| Danish Superliga | Philip Billing | £35,000£35k | £7,123£7k |
| Superleague Greece | Christos Zafeiris | £33,000£33k | £7,533£8k |
| Czech First League | Sivert Mannsverk | £33,000£33k | £2,010£2k |
| Belgian Pro League | László Bénes | £25,000£25k | £6,702£7k |
| Ekstraklasa | Karol Linetty | £25,000£25k | £3,410£3k |
| Ligue 2 | Ibou Sissoko | £21,000£21k | £4,966£5k |
| Austrian Bundesliga | Bendegúz Bolla | £20,000£20k | £3,500£4k |
| Belgian Challenger Pro League | Mats Rits | £16,000£16k | £2,048£2k |
| Eliteserien | Hrannar Snær Magnússon | £13,000£13k | £2,231£2k |
| League Two | Joe Williams | £12,000£12k | £2,560£3k |
| Categoría Primera A | Élan Ricardo | £11,000£11k | £3,852£4k |
| Thai League | Roque Mesa | £8,000£8k | £2,247£2k |
| Indian Super League | Lalengmawia | £5,500£6k | £707£707 |
| Veikkausliiga | Alexander Ring | £4,500£5k | £708£708 |
| Scottish Championship | Graeme Shinnie | £4,200£4k | £907£907 |
| National League | Jake Rooney | £4,100£4k | £1,293£1k |
| A-League | Jake Girdwood-Reich | £4,100£4k | £1,219£1k |
| I-League | Jordi Altena | £3,100£3k | £364£364 |
| Canadian Premier League | Manuel Aparicio | £810£810 | £458£458 |
| Meistriliiga | Modou Tambedou | £484£484 | £161£161 |
Frequently asked questions
Who is the highest paid midfielder in the J1 League?
Oriol Romeu of Avispa, on £35,000 a week in 2026/27, or £1,820,000 a year. Jackson Irvine of Cerezo Osaka is second on £17,000 a week.
How much do J1 League midfielders earn?
The average J1 League midfielder aged 22 or over earns £4,063 a week, and the median one £3,000. Midfielders take 21% of what the J1 League pays its players of that age.
Which J1 League club pays its midfielders the most?
FC Machida Zelvia, £52,759 a week across the 10 midfielders we hold a wage for, led by Gen Shoji on £13,000.
Who is the highest paid midfielder in football?
Of the 43 men's leagues we rank midfielders in, the best-paid is Otávio of Al-Qadsiah Football Club in the Saudi Pro League, on £472,000 a week. The best-paid in the J1 League ranks 23rd of the 43 leagues on that measure.
Where to next
The same J1 League squads, cut a different way
See the highest paid J1 League players in every position, the best-paid player at every club, what J1 League players are paid at every age, or the J1 League wage bill, club by club.