LEAGUE ONE · DEFENDERS · 2026/27
Highest paid League One defenders
Wes Morgan is the best-paid defender in League One, on £46,000 a week at Leicester City, or £2,392,000 a year. Caleb Okoli is next on £42,000 at Leicester City. We hold wages for 489 League One defenders in 2026/27.
BEST PAID £46k
AVERAGE WAGE £5,700
SHARE OF WAGE BILL38%
TOP 10 A WEEK £304k
WAGES HELD489
The 50 best-paid League One 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 | Wes Morgan | £46,000£46k | £2,392,000£2.4m | Leicester City | 36 | Centre-back | Jamaica |
| 2 | Caleb Okoli | £42,000£42k | £2,184,000£2.2m | Leicester City | 24 | Centre-back | Italy |
| 3 | Harry Souttar | £36,000£36k | £1,872,000£1.9m | Leicester City | 26 | Centre-back | Australia |
| 4 | Wout Faes | £36,000£36k | £1,872,000£1.9m | Leicester City | 27 | Centre-back | Belgium |
| 5 | Luke Thomas | £35,000£35k | £1,820,000£1.8m | Leicester City | 24 | Centre-back | England |
| 6 | Woyo Coulibaly | £26,000£26k | £1,352,000£1.4m | Leicester City | 26 | Full-back | Mali |
| 7 | Ben Nelson | £23,000£23k | £1,196,000£1.2m | Leicester City | 21 | Centre-back | England |
| 8 | Alfie Gilchrist | £23,000£23k | £1,196,000£1.2m | Leyton Orient | 21 | Centre-back | England |
| 9 | Ben Osborn | £19,000£19k | £988,000£988k | Stockport County | 30 | Left wing-back, defensive midfielder | England |
| 10 | Steve Cook | £18,000£18k | £936,000£936k | Wycombe Wanderers | 34 | Centre-back | England |
| 11 | Wes Burns | £16,000£16k | £832,000£832k | Leicester City | 30 | Right wing-back, right winger | Wales |
| 12 | Liam Palmer | £15,000£15k | £780,000£780k | Sheffield Wednesday | 33 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Scotland |
| 13 | Max Lowe | £14,000£14k | £728,000£728k | Sheffield Wednesday | 28 | Left-back | England |
| 14 | Di'Shon Bernard | £14,000£14k | £728,000£728k | Sheffield Wednesday | 24 | Centre-back | Jamaica |
| 15 | Isaiah Jones | £11,000£11k | £572,000£572k | Luton Town | 26 | Right wing-back, winger | Guyana |
| 16 | Bali Mumba | £9,500£10k | £494,000£494k | Huddersfield Town | 23 | Left-back, left winger | England |
| 17 | Ciaron Brown | £9,400£9k | £488,800£489k | Oxford United | 27 | Centre-back | Northern Ireland |
| 18 | Fraser Horsfall | £9,300£9k | £483,600£484k | Blackpool | 28 | Centre-back | England |
| 19 | Nigel Lonwijk | £9,000£9k | £468,000£468k | Luton Town | 22 | Centre-back | Suriname |
| 20 | Michał Helik | £9,000£9k | £468,000£468k | Oxford United | 29 | Centre-back | Poland |
| 21 | Radinio Balker | £8,700£9k | £452,400£452k | Huddersfield Town | 26 | Centre-back | Suriname |
| 22 | Brodie Spencer | £8,500£9k | £442,000£442k | Oxford United | 21 | Defender | Northern Ireland |
| 23 | Alex Mitchell | £8,500£9k | £442,000£442k | Plymouth Argyle | 23 | Centre-back | England |
| 24 | Curtis Nelson | £8,400£8k | £436,800£437k | Milton Keynes Dons | 32 | Centre-back | England |
| 25 | Callum Paterson | £8,400£8k | £436,800£437k | Milton Keynes Dons | 30 | Right wing-back, right midfielder, striker | Scotland |
| 26 | Wes Harding | £8,400£8k | £436,800£437k | Plymouth Argyle | 28 | Centre-back | Jamaica |
| 27 | Finley Munroe | £8,300£8k | £431,600£432k | Blackpool | 20 | Left-back | England |
| 28 | Fin Stevens | £8,300£8k | £431,600£432k | Leyton Orient | 22 | Right-back | Wales |
| 29 | Hakeem Odoffin | £8,200£8k | £426,400£426k | Luton Town | 27 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | England |
| 30 | Haydon Roberts | £8,200£8k | £426,400£426k | Reading | 23 | Centre-back | England |
| 31 | Jordan Williams | £8,100£8k | £421,200£421k | Blackpool | 25 | Centre-back | England |
| 32 | Joe Low | £8,100£8k | £421,200£421k | Huddersfield Town | 23 | Centre-back | Wales |
| 33 | Jack Whatmough | £8,100£8k | £421,200£421k | Huddersfield Town | 28 | Centre-back | England |
| 34 | Josh Knight | £8,100£8k | £421,200£421k | Reading | 27 | Centre-back | England |
| 35 | Kal Naismith | £8,000£8k | £416,000£416k | Luton Town | 33 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Scotland |
| 36 | Kane Wilson | £8,000£8k | £416,000£416k | Milton Keynes Dons | 25 | Right-back, right winger | England |
| 37 | Ricardo Almeida Santos | £8,000£8k | £416,000£416k | Sheffield Wednesday | 30 | Centre-back | Cape Verde |
| 38 | Michael Ihiekwe | £7,900£8k | £410,800£411k | Blackpool | 32 | Centre-back | England |
| 39 | MacAulay Gillesphey | £7,900£8k | £410,800£411k | Bradford City | 29 | Centre-back | England |
| 40 | Mads Andersen | £7,900£8k | £410,800£411k | Luton Town | 27 | Centre-back | Denmark |
| 41 | Mathias Ross | £7,900£8k | £410,800£411k | Plymouth Argyle | 24 | Centre-back | Denmark |
| 42 | Teden Mengi | £7,600£8k | £395,200£395k | Luton Town | 23 | Centre-back | England |
| 43 | Brodi Hughes | £7,500£8k | £390,000£390k | AFC Wimbledon | 20 | Centre-back | England |
| 44 | Connor Taylor | £7,400£7k | £384,800£385k | Wycombe Wanderers | 23 | Centre-back | England |
| 45 | Hayden Matthews | £7,200£7k | £374,400£374k | Bradford City | 21 | Centre-back | Australia |
| 46 | George Johnston | £7,200£7k | £374,400£374k | Luton Town | 26 | Centre-back | Scotland |
| 47 | Julio Pleguezuelo | £7,100£7k | £369,200£369k | Plymouth Argyle | 28 | Centre-back | Spain |
| 48 | Joe Edwards | £7,100£7k | £369,200£369k | Plymouth Argyle | 34 | Full-back | England |
| 49 | Lynden Gooch | £7,000£7k | £364,000£364k | Huddersfield Town | 29 | Right-back, right winger | United States |
| 50 | Liam Cooper | £7,000£7k | £364,000£364k | Sheffield Wednesday | 33 | Centre-back | Scotland |
What each position earns in League One
Average weekly wage of the players aged 22 or over we hold a wage for
Defenders take 38% of what League One 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 League One club, added together, a week
Leicester City pay 26 defenders £280,545 a week between them, and Wes Morgan takes 16% of it.
The best-paid defender at every League One club
24 clubs, 2026/27, with where each ranks among the league's defenders
| CLUB | PLAYER | WEEKLY | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leicester City | Wes Morgan | £46,000£46k | 1 |
| Leyton Orient | Alfie Gilchrist | £23,000£23k | 8 |
| Stockport County | Ben Osborn | £19,000£19k | 9 |
| Wycombe Wanderers | Steve Cook | £18,000£18k | 10 |
| Sheffield Wednesday | Liam Palmer | £15,000£15k | 12 |
| Luton Town | Isaiah Jones | £11,000£11k | 15 |
| Huddersfield Town | Bali Mumba | £9,500£10k | 16 |
| Oxford United | Ciaron Brown | £9,400£9k | 17 |
| Blackpool | Fraser Horsfall | £9,300£9k | 18 |
| Plymouth Argyle | Alex Mitchell | £8,500£9k | 23 |
| Milton Keynes Dons | Curtis Nelson | £8,400£8k | 24 |
| Reading | Haydon Roberts | £8,200£8k | 30 |
| Bradford City | MacAulay Gillesphey | £7,900£8k | 39 |
| AFC Wimbledon | Brodi Hughes | £7,500£8k | 43 |
| Peterborough United | Thomas O'Connor | £5,600£6k | 65 |
| Barnsley | Connor O'Riordan | £5,400£5k | 69 |
| Burton Albion | George Evans | £5,200£5k | 71 |
| Mansfield Town | Luke Bolton | £5,000£5k | 79 |
| Stevenage | Carl Piergianni | £4,400£4k | 92 |
| Cambridge United | Dominic Ball | £4,400£4k | 90 |
| Doncaster Rovers | Jay McGrath | £4,100£4k | 104 |
| Wigan Athletic | Isaac Mabaya | £4,100£4k | 108 |
| Notts County | Lucas Ness | £4,000£4k | 115 |
| Bromley | Jesse Debrah | £3,100£3k | 144 |
The best-paid defender in every men's league
43 leagues, ordered by their best-paid defender. League One ranks 18th.
| 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 League One?
Wes Morgan of Leicester City, on £46,000 a week in 2026/27, or £2,392,000 a year. Caleb Okoli of Leicester City is second on £42,000 a week.
How much do League One defenders earn?
The average League One defender aged 22 or over earns £5,700 a week, and the median one £4,050. Defenders take 38% of what League One pays its players of that age.
Which League One club pays its defenders the most?
Leicester City, £280,545 a week across the 26 defenders we hold a wage for, led by Wes Morgan on £46,000.
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 League One ranks 18th of the 43 leagues on that measure.
Where to next
The same League One squads, cut a different way
See the highest paid League One players in every position, the best-paid player at every club, what League One players are paid at every age, or League One wage bill, club by club.