SÜPER LIG · DEFENDERS · 2026/27
Highest paid Süper Lig defenders
Milan Škriniar is the best-paid defender in the Süper Lig, on £166,000 a week at Fenerbahçe A.Ş., or £8,632,000 a year. Nathan Aké is next on £165,000 at Fenerbahçe A.Ş.. We hold wages for 160 Süper Lig defenders in 2026/27.
BEST PAID £166k
AVERAGE WAGE £15,078
SHARE OF WAGE BILL21%
TOP 10 A WEEK £925k
WAGES HELD160
The 50 best-paid Süper Lig 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 | Milan Škriniar | £166,000£166k | £8,632,000£8.6m | Fenerbahçe A.Ş. | 30 | Centre-back | Slovakia |
| 2 | Nathan Aké | £165,000£165k | £8,580,000£8.6m | Fenerbahçe A.Ş. | 30 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Netherlands |
| 3 | Davinson Sánchez | £104,000£104k | £5,408,000£5.4m | Galatasaray A.Ş. | 29 | Centre-back | Colombia |
| 4 | Wilfried Singo | £100,000£100k | £5,200,000£5.2m | Galatasaray A.Ş. | 24 | Centre-back | Côte d’Ivoire |
| 5 | El Chadaille Bitshiabu | £85,000£85k | £4,420,000£4.4m | Galatasaray A.Ş. | 20 | Centre-back | France |
| 6 | Nélson Semedo | £82,000£82k | £4,264,000£4.3m | Fenerbahçe A.Ş. | 31 | Right-back | Portugal |
| 7 | Emmanuel Agbadou | £64,000£64k | £3,328,000£3.3m | Beşiktaş A.Ş. | 28 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Côte d’Ivoire |
| 8 | Tiago Djaló | £59,000£59k | £3,068,000£3.1m | Beşiktaş A.Ş. | 25 | Centre-back | Portugal |
| 9 | Michael Murillo | £50,000£50k | £2,600,000£2.6m | Beşiktaş A.Ş. | 29 | Centre-back | Panama |
| 10 | Roland Sallai | £50,000£50k | £2,600,000£2.6m | Galatasaray A.Ş. | 28 | Right-back, right winger | Hungary |
| 11 | Stefan Savic | £50,000£50k | £2,600,000£2.6m | Trabzonspor A.Ş. | 34 | Centre-back | Montenegro |
| 12 | Arthur Masuaku | £48,000£48k | £2,496,000£2.5m | Konyaspor | 31 | Left-back | Congo - Kinshasa |
| 13 | Ismail Jakobs | £45,000£45k | £2,340,000£2.3m | Galatasaray A.Ş. | 25 | Left-back, left midfielder | Senegal |
| 14 | Abdülkerim Bardakcı | £42,000£42k | £2,184,000£2.2m | Galatasaray A.Ş. | 30 | Centre-back | Türkiye |
| 15 | Jayden Oosterwolde | £35,000£35k | £1,820,000£1.8m | Fenerbahçe A.Ş. | 24 | Centre-back | Netherlands |
| 16 | Rodrigo Becão | £35,000£35k | £1,820,000£1.8m | Fenerbahçe A.Ş. | 29 | Centre-back | Brazil |
| 17 | Archie Brown | £34,000£34k | £1,768,000£1.8m | Fenerbahçe A.Ş. | 23 | Left-back, left midfielder | England |
| 18 | Çaglar Söyüncü | £33,000£33k | £1,716,000£1.7m | Fenerbahçe A.Ş. | 29 | Centre-back | Türkiye |
| 19 | Kaan Ayhan | £31,000£31k | £1,612,000£1.6m | Galatasaray A.Ş. | 30 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Türkiye |
| 20 | Okay Yokuslu | £30,000£30k | £1,560,000£1.6m | Trabzonspor A.Ş. | 31 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Türkiye |
| 21 | Carlos Cuesta | £29,000£29k | £1,508,000£1.5m | Galatasaray A.Ş. | 26 | Centre-back | Colombia |
| 22 | Ozan Tufan | £25,000£25k | £1,300,000£1.3m | Trabzonspor A.Ş. | 30 | Right-back, defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder | Türkiye |
| 23 | Rıdvan Yılmaz | £24,000£24k | £1,248,000£1.2m | Beşiktaş A.Ş. | 24 | Left-back, left midfielder | Türkiye |
| 24 | Mert Müldür | £24,000£24k | £1,248,000£1.2m | Fenerbahçe A.Ş. | 26 | Defender | Türkiye |
| 25 | Victor Nelsson | £24,000£24k | £1,248,000£1.2m | Galatasaray A.Ş. | 26 | Centre-back | Denmark |
| 26 | Cenk Özkacar | £22,000£22k | £1,144,000£1.1m | Trabzonspor A.Ş. | 24 | Centre-back | Türkiye |
| 27 | Eren Elmalı | £21,000£21k | £1,092,000£1.1m | Galatasaray A.Ş. | 25 | Left-back, left midfielder | Türkiye |
| 28 | Oğuz Aydın | £20,000£20k | £1,040,000£1.0m | Fenerbahçe A.Ş. | 24 | Right wing-back, winger | Türkiye |
| 29 | Samet Akaydin | £18,000£18k | £936,000£936k | Trabzonspor A.Ş. | 31 | Centre-back | Türkiye |
| 30 | Arsenii Batahov | £17,000£17k | £884,000£884k | Trabzonspor A.Ş. | 23 | Centre-back | Ukraine |
| 31 | Wagner Pina | £17,000£17k | £884,000£884k | Trabzonspor A.Ş. | 22 | Right-back | Cape Verde |
| 32 | Chidozie Awaziem | £16,000£16k | £832,000£832k | Konyaspor | 28 | Centre-back | Nigeria |
| 33 | Taylan Bulut | £15,000£15k | £780,000£780k | Beşiktaş A.Ş. | 19 | Centre-back | Germany |
| 34 | Ahmet Oğuz | £15,000£15k | £780,000£780k | Kocaelispor | 32 | Right-back | Türkiye |
| 35 | Sidny Lopes Cabral | £15,000£15k | £780,000£780k | Trabzonspor A.Ş. | 22 | Full-back, winger | Cape Verde |
| 36 | Emirhan Topçu | £14,000£14k | £728,000£728k | Beşiktaş A.Ş. | 24 | Centre-back | Türkiye |
| 37 | Massadio Haïdara | £14,000£14k | £728,000£728k | Kocaelispor | 32 | Centre-back | Mali |
| 38 | Anfernee Dijksteel | £14,000£14k | £728,000£728k | Kocaelispor | 28 | Centre-back | Suriname |
| 39 | Casper Højer | £14,000£14k | £728,000£728k | Rizespor A.Ş. | 30 | Left-back | Denmark |
| 40 | Chibuike Nwaiwu | £14,000£14k | £728,000£728k | Trabzonspor A.Ş. | 21 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Nigeria |
| 41 | Joseph Attamah | £13,000£13k | £676,000£676k | Ahlatcı Çorum Futbol Kulübü | 31 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Ghana |
| 42 | Attila Mocsi | £13,000£13k | £676,000£676k | Rizespor A.Ş. | 25 | Centre-back | Hungary |
| 43 | Enzo Roco | £12,000£12k | £624,000£624k | Fatih Karagümrük A.Ş. | 32 | Centre-back | Chile |
| 44 | Levent Mercan | £12,000£12k | £624,000£624k | Fenerbahçe A.Ş. | 24 | Centre-back | Germany |
| 45 | Pedro Pereira | £11,000£11k | £572,000£572k | Gençlerbirliği | 27 | Full-back, right midfielder | Portugal |
| 46 | Husniddin Aliqulov | £11,000£11k | £572,000£572k | Rizespor A.Ş. | 26 | Centre-back | Uzbekistan |
| 47 | Taha Şahin | £11,000£11k | £572,000£572k | Rizespor A.Ş. | 24 | Right-back | Türkiye |
| 48 | Michal Karbownik | £10,000£10k | £520,000£520k | Başakşehir Futbol Kulübü | 24 | Full-back, defensive midfielder | Poland |
| 49 | Tiago Gouveia | £10,000£10k | £520,000£520k | Gençlerbirliği | 24 | Left wing-back, winger | Portugal |
| 50 | Mateusz Wieteska | £10,000£10k | £520,000£520k | Kocaelispor | 28 | Centre-back | Poland |
What each position earns in the Süper Lig
Average weekly wage of the players aged 22 or over we hold a wage for
Defenders take 21% of what the Süper Lig 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 Süper Lig club, added together, a week
Fenerbahçe A.Ş. pay 12 defenders £609,252 a week between them, and Milan Škriniar takes 27% of it.
The best-paid defender at every Süper Lig club
21 clubs, 2026/27, with where each ranks among the league's defenders
| CLUB | PLAYER | WEEKLY | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fenerbahçe A.Ş. | Milan Škriniar | £166,000£166k | 1 |
| Galatasaray A.Ş. | Davinson Sánchez | £104,000£104k | 3 |
| Beşiktaş A.Ş. | Emmanuel Agbadou | £64,000£64k | 7 |
| Trabzonspor A.Ş. | Stefan Savic | £50,000£50k | 11 |
| Konyaspor | Arthur Masuaku | £48,000£48k | 12 |
| Kocaelispor | Ahmet Oğuz | £15,000£15k | 34 |
| Rizespor A.Ş. | Casper Højer | £14,000£14k | 39 |
| Ahlatcı Çorum Futbol Kulübü | Joseph Attamah | £13,000£13k | 41 |
| Fatih Karagümrük A.Ş. | Enzo Roco | £12,000£12k | 43 |
| Gençlerbirliği | Pedro Pereira | £11,000£11k | 45 |
| Başakşehir Futbol Kulübü | Michal Karbownik | £10,000£10k | 48 |
| Göztepe A.Ş. | Malcom Bokélé | £9,000£9k | 53 |
| Antalyaspor | Erdoğan Yeşilyurt | £8,300£8k | 57 |
| Erzurumspor Futbol Kulübü | Nihad Mujakić | £7,900£8k | 58 |
| Kasımpaşa A.Ş. | Cláudio Winck | £7,400£7k | 61 |
| Alanyaspor | Florent Hadergjonaj | £6,300£6k | 65 |
| Kayserispor | Gideon Jung | £6,200£6k | 67 |
| Samsunspor A.Ş. | Logi Tómasson | £6,000£6k | 70 |
| Amed Sportif Faaliyetler | Oleksandr Syrota | £5,800£6k | 74 |
| Gaziantep Futbol Kulübü A.Ş. | Deian Sorescu | £5,400£5k | 77 |
| İKAS Eyüpspor | Umut Meraş | £4,500£5k | 84 |
The best-paid defender in every men's league
43 leagues, ordered by their best-paid defender. The Süper Lig ranks seventh.
| 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 Süper Lig?
Milan Škriniar of Fenerbahçe A.Ş., on £166,000 a week in 2026/27, or £8,632,000 a year. Nathan Aké of Fenerbahçe A.Ş. is second on £165,000 a week.
How much do Süper Lig defenders earn?
The average Süper Lig defender aged 22 or over earns £15,078 a week, and the median one £6,000. Defenders take 21% of what the Süper Lig pays its players of that age.
Which Süper Lig club pays its defenders the most?
Fenerbahçe A.Ş., £609,252 a week across the 12 defenders we hold a wage for, led by Milan Škriniar on £166,000.
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 Süper Lig ranks seventh of the 43 leagues on that measure.
Where to next
The same Süper Lig squads, cut a different way
See the highest paid Süper Lig players in every position, the best-paid player at every club, what Süper Lig players are paid at every age, or the Süper Lig wage bill, club by club.