‘Liverpool news is a shock but my experience with contracts fully explains it’
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness has claimed a shock rise in the wage bill at Liverpool could be due to automatic salary rises in the contracts of first-team stars.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the 67-year-old – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – explained a percentage increase for players year-on-year was “common” during his time on Merseyside.
Recent new analysis in Deloitte’s 2025 Money League (23 January) revealed Liverpool’s wage costs rose from £373million in 2022-23 to £387million last season.
That is despite Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Fabinho, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Roberto Firmino all leaving Anfield and being replaced by four players – Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Wataru Endo – in the summer of 2023.
Liverpool secured a third-place finish last season but did not play Champions League football – and instead were eliminated at the quarter-final stage in the Europa League.
Keith Wyness suggests reason for shock Liverpool costs
Wyness told Football Insider‘s Insider Track podcast: “A lot of people have looked at this and wondered why there was an increase in the wage bill.
“My own view is that there are probably escalation clauses for a number of players every year.
“I used to sign players with an increase in their wages every year, it was common.
“£50,000 up to £65,000, up to £75,000 – for example.
“I think that’s where any increase is coming from – that’s my guess.
“It’s unusual. There doesn’t seem to be any big bonus payments for any achievements last season. It’s unexpected, but that would be one potential reason.”
In other news, Virgil van Dijk confirms Liverpool boost with training ground reveal.
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