For a good while now Inter Milan have adhered to a simple but clever economic strategy that is rare in football.
For an elite club they don’t typically spend vast amounts on transfers, actually making a small profit on incoming and outgoing talent since 2020. Indeed, when we look at signings from a historical perspective, Inter are responsible for only two of the ten most expensive players to join an Italian club.
Their biggest outlay across the last five summers secured Benjamin Pavard from Bayern Munich for £28m.
Yet when it comes to salaries I Nerazzurri are happy to pay top dollar with this season being no exception.
In 2025/26 their annual payroll – amounting to a substantial £120m a year plus change – is £9m more than Juventus’ wage bill, the club that is second on the list. Their payroll is 40% greater than that of their neighbours AC Milan.
Biggest Earners at Inter (2025/26)
- Lautaro Martinez - £282,327 per week
- Nicolo Barella - £203,903 per week
- Hakan Calhanoglu - £188,161 per week
- Alessandro Bastoni - £172,580 per week
- Piotr Zielinski - £141,078 per week
This unusual disparity – prudent on transfers but lavish with salaries – promotes several benefits, not least an ability to retain their best players.
Lautaro Martinez is a good example of this, a forward long coveted by football’s uber-wealthy superpowers. None of them however are willing, or capable, of boosting his earnings sufficiently to dislodge him from the San Siro.
Lautaro Martinez
The Argentine hit-man has fired nearly a goal every other game for Inter since joining them in 2018 from River Plate. In 2023/24 his 24-goal haul was a league high and considerably helped Inter attain a 20th Scudetto, earning them a second star on their jersey in the process.
The striker won the Serie A Footballer of the Year that season too.
He has therefore earned the right to sit top of his peers here, having recently signed a contract extension that makes the 28-year-old the second highest earner in Italy, after Dusan Vlahovic.
There is an additional £3.2m in bonuses to play for as well for a prolific finisher who is routinely backed in the football betting to produce the goods.
Nicolo Barella
The heart and soul of Inter’s midfield grew up on the beautiful Sardinian island of Cagliari, playing street football while wearing an Inter shirt adorned with ‘Recoba’ on the back.
Having secured a dream move to Milan in 2019, Barella has established himself as a fundamental part of his team’s recent successes, driving them on to two title triumphs and a brace of Champions League finals.
For his country meanwhile, his dynamic box-to-boxing was crucial in the Azzurri lifting the Euro trophy in 2020.
A contract extension in May 2024 ensured that Inter’s captain remains the best paid Italian player in Serie A and justifiably so.
Hakan Calhanoglu
The Turkish international’s switch from AC to Inter in 2021 naturally made plenty of headlines but if his new club’s fanbase had any misgivings about signing one of the enemy they soon vanished. Calhanoglu scored and assisted on his debut, putting in a Player of the Match performance.
It’s been a harmonious match ever since, with the deep-lying playmaker proving pivotal in title successes and big Champions League affairs. Demonstrating his worth, Calhanoglu has started 84% of Inter’s league fixtures since joining.
An improved contract penned in 2023 is set to extend his stay until 2027 by which time he will be 33. A free transfer and a big final payday elsewhere surely beckons.
Alessandro Bastoni
Twice voted Serie A’s best defender, Bastoni joined I Nerazzurri as a highly-rated teenager and has subsequently become a keystone in two title triumphs as well as cementing a starting spot for Italy.
Combative but comfortable in possession the 26-year-old is widely regarded as one of Europe’s best stoppers and it was no surprise to see several leading clubs closely monitor his contract negotiations two years ago, with Manchester City showing keen interest from the Premier League.
A bumper new deal extending to 2028 soon saw to that.
Bastoni’s £8.9m a year doesn’t include a £1.5m bonus package, the bulk of which is paid out if Inter attain a 21st Serie A title.
Piotr Zielinski
Now a 31-year-old Serie A veteran with 13 Italian top-flight seasons under his belt, Zielinski joined Inter in 2024 on a free from Napoli after running down his contract. In high demand and with a pick of clubs to choose from, the Pole opted for Inter who offered up a hefty increase on what he was getting in Naples.
Zielinski’s weekly wage shot up from £109,000 to £141,000 with a swoosh of a pen.
Mainly utilised as a sub to date, his nous and craft in the middle of the park is another reason why Inter are being seriously backed in the sports betting to again top the pile this term.
