Sunderland wages: Who is the best paid player at the Black Cats and everything you need to know about Sunderland's salary bill

Sunderland's first-choice goalkeeper, 24-year-old Anthony Patterson, is currently the highest-earning keeper in the squad. Patterson has firmly established himself as Sunderland's undisputed number one goalkeeper, playing a key role in the team’s recent success.

Meanwhile, 34-year-old Simon Moore joined Sunderland from Coventry City ahead of the 2024-25 season and is currently the second-highest-paid goalkeeper in the squad, ahead of 24-year-old Cameroonian Blondy Nna Noukeu at the bottom of this three-man list.

Arriving on loan from Bournemouth, Welsh centre-back Chris Mepham is the highest-paid defender in the current Sunderland squad. Mepham is also the second-highest-paid player overall.

In second place is Daniel Ballard, another centre-back who has been a consistent presence in the starting lineup since joining the club in 2022. Completing the top three is left-back Dennis Cirkin, who has been a mainstay in the Black Cats' defense since making his debut in 2021 at just 19 years old.

Jenson Seelt, Joe Anderson, and Trai Hume are the joint-lowest paid defenders at the club.

Enzo Le Fee, who joined Sunderland on loan from Roma, is not only the highest-earning midfielder but also the highest-paid player overall, earning nearly double that of second-place Mepham.

In second place among the top-earning midfielders is 29-year-old Alan Browne. Rounding out the top three is Ghanaian midfielder Salis Abdul Samed, who joined Sunderland on a season-long loan from French side Lens.

Interestingly, Jobe Bellingham, the younger brother of Jude Bellingham, is notably absent from the list of the club's highest earners. Despite rumors linking him to a potential move to Germany and interest from several Premier League clubs, Bellingham has yet to break into the top earners' ranks at Sunderland.

Youngsters Chris Rigg and Dan Neil are the lowest-paid midfielders at the Stadium of Light.

After seven seasons contracted to Manchester City, which included several loan spells across Europe, English right-winger Patrick Roberts finally found a permanent home in the Championship with Sunderland, joining the club in 2022. Roberts is now the highest-paid attacker in the Sunderland squad, playing a pivotal role in the team's offensive play.

It's surprising to see that Wilson Isidor, who is the team's top scorer this term, isn't among the best-paid attackers. A case could also be made for the likes of Eliezer Mayenda and Romaine Mundle, who have been great for the Black Cats.

20-year-old Nigerian forward Ahmed Abdullahi is the lowest-paid Sunderland attacker.

Three of the five highest-paid Sunderland players come from the midfield: Le Fee, Brown, and Samed.

Defenders Mepham and Ballard close out the top five earners.

The top two lowest earners are Neil and Rigg, and the only ones earning a five-figure annual salary.

Abdullahi is the third-lowest paid player. Meanwhile, Hume and Seelt jointly-share the final two positions, earning £156,000 annually.

So, what does this mean for the bigger picture? In which area of the pitch are Sunderland investing the most, and how much do they spend annually on first-team salaries?

The Black Cats are allocating over £6 million to their midfielders' salaries, making it the most expensive area on their payroll.