Exclusive: Chelsea wasted over £113m on Tuchel dud who earned more than Madueke & Palmer combined

Despite the ongoing discussions surrounding Chelsea’s ownership, transfer strategy, and recent performances, one clear success has been their significant reduction of the wage budget. When the new owners took over, several key players were earning between £200,000 and £300,000 per week. Now, only three players are on £200,000 or more, with many others earning closer to £80,000 to £120,000 per week.

The owners clearly want the players to earn their pay increases and bonuses on merit, as both Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson were rewarded for their superb campaigns in the 2023/24 season, with pay increases.

Chelsea’s current wage situation

The current highest earner at Chelsea, excluding Raheem Sterling who is on loan at Arsenal, is Reece James, who is earning a staggering £250k-per-week.

The other two who earn £200k are Ben Chilwell and Wesley Fofana. Whilst some of the lower earners in the senior squad include Noni Madueke on £50k, and Romeo Lavia on £45k.

Newer signings seem to be kept within the £80k to £120k bracket on average, with some earning slightly more, and some earning slightly less. Palmer recently saw his wage increase and is now earning £130k, whilst star striker Jackson also received a salary bump.

Chelsea’s midfield pair, which cost over £198m between them, are earning £180k and £150k per week respectively, which is to be expected for their record signings.

However, with many new signings joining on long-term deals, with smaller initial wage packages, the Blues owners have managed to massively decrease the overall wage bill, something they deserve praise for.

Palmer and Madueke form

Two players who have started extremely well under Enzo Maresca and certainly deserve their weekly salaries are Palmer and Noni Madueke.

Both players have an excellent bond on and off the pitch, and it has really started to translate with their performances, especially in the 6-2 thumping against Wolves, where Palmer assisted Madueke three times.

Palmer had a superb first season at the club, making 45 appearances for the Blues, scoring 25 goals and providing 15 assists. He then started the new campaign in this same rich vein of form, scoring six goals and providing five assists in just nine appearances so far.

Madueke, meanwhile, had an inconsistent season under Pochettino, featuring in 34 matches across all competitions, scoring eight goals, providing three assists, and accumulating 1,593 minutes of play.

However, under the new manager, the 22-year-old has become a key player, making eight appearances and scoring five goals.

The England duo have become crucial for Chelsea, establishing a strong partnership on the right side, frequently linking up in attacking areas. Interestingly, there was once a Chelsea star who earned more than the two combined, yet many would argue that his performances never matched their current impact.

Romelu Lukaku at Chelsea

Chelsea signed **Romelu Lukaku** from Inter Milan in the summer of 2021 for a staggering fee of **£97.5 million**, making him the club’s record signing at the time.

Across his two spells with the Blues, Lukaku featured in **59 matches**, scoring **15 goals** and contributing **two assists** over **3,186 minutes** of play.

In his second stint at Chelsea, Belgian striker **Romelu Lukaku** earned around **£325,000 per week**, equating to a yearly salary of **£16.9 million**, making him the highest-paid player at the club. Remarkably, this figure exceeds the combined earnings of **Cole Palmer** and **Noni Madueke**. Given the controversy surrounding his infamous interview and his limited impact on the pitch, many consider this one of the worst-value deals in football history.

Lukaku was brought in by **Thomas Tuchel** after Chelsea’s Champions League triumph to bolster the attack, as the club lacked a consistent goalscorer during the 2020/21 season, with **Tammy Abraham** and **Timo Werner** each netting only 12 goals across all competitions.

However, Lukaku’s return quickly unraveled following his controversial interview where he expressed a desire to return to **Inter Milan** just months after rejoining Chelsea. This led to his exclusion from the squad, followed by multiple loan spells, and his eventual sale to **Napoli** for around **£25.2 million** in the summer of 2024.

Reflecting on his return, Lukaku commented, “The fact that I hadn’t won anything in England in eight years bothered me a lot. So it was hard to turn down the chance to come back here with the team I have supported since I was a child.”

When you compare the output Lukaku provided in the 2021/22 season for the Blues, considering his sizeable wage package, with the output of both Palmer and Madueke, you can instantly see where the better value is.

Not to mention, the £40m fee paid to Manchester City for Palmer, and the £29m fee paid to PSV for Madueke, is also much less than the £97.5m fee paid for Lukaku, which makes the value even worse.

Of all the metrics analysed above, the only one Lukaku wins is aerial duels won, and this is to be expected considering his 6 foot 3 frame. Output efficiency, shot volume, progressive stats, even touches in the penalty area, are bettered by either one or both of Palmer and Madueke.

This is both a poor reflection on Lukaku’s return to Chelsea and also a positive reflection on how Maresca is getting the best out of Palmer and Madueke as a duo.

Things might have turned out very differently for **Romelu Lukaku** had he not given that infamous interview. He could have potentially become the focal point of Chelsea’s attack. However, given how events unfolded, his transfer is now seen as one of the worst deals in recent history, costing the club around **£114 million** when factoring in his transfer fee and yearly salary.

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