Is Olivier Giroud worth £130k a week?

Last night is was announced that Olivier Giroud was on the verge of signing a new contract with Arsenal, paying him an astonishing £130,000 a week. The first thought is “Wow! That’s a lot of money” and it is.

But is he worth it?

In football, players are a stupid amount. They are all on too much money. But that is life. When TV revenue is as high as it is, and the TV companies are paying for those footballers on the pitch, the money will always flow down to those footballers. Every time a new TV is signed, agents up and down the country knock on the managers door of their clients and demand a bit of a slice of that pie. And more often than not they get it.

You only have to look at James Milner. He is on £150k a week. Raheem Sterling has just signed for Manchester City for £200k a week. When Manchester City signed Adebayor, they paid him £170k a week. Nasri £185k.

At Manchester United, Wayne Rooney earns a reportedly £275k a week. He has scored 49 goals in the last 3 years. Olivier Giroud has scored 58 goals in the same period. The previously mentioned Adebayor also got 58 goals in his 3 full seasons at the club.

Many Arsenal fans want the club to sign Karim Benzema. He gets paid around £240k a week. Olivier Giroud keeps him out of the French national side.

The money footballers get paid grossly high. Rather than compare Giroud’s £130k a week to that of the normal man (or soldiers wages) it should be compared to his contemporaries. You do that, and you realise that £130k a week is probably right for someone of his talent. A first choice international striker, playing for a top European side, scoring consistently.

It is not just footballers that have crazy salaries though. Lewis Hamilton is paid £32m a year (£615k per week) to drive a car round in circles. Top cricketers in the Indian Premier League can earn over £1m for just 6 weeks work – £166k a week. And then we have America, where NBA, NFL and baseball stars can earn into the hundreds of millions throughout their career.

Sport has become such a commercial vehicle, TV companies and sponsors are willing to pay billions to be associated with it, and these billions end up in the players pocket.

So is Giroud worth £130k a week? In the inflated, bloated, cash rich would of football, you would have to say that is his par salary.

I agree, it is sickening.


8 thoughts on “Is Olivier Giroud worth £130k a week?

  1. JohnS

    1) Some discrepancy between actual wage, some people saying its a foreign report that said the figure was in euros, so it would be £90k a week, which isnt bad
    2) a 1st choice striker for a top level team deserves at least 130k a week, even moreso if Welbz is reported to earn 115k a weej

  2. Mark

    Actually you are widely out. Benzema is on £90k a week. Most players are not paid C. Ronaldo/Messi territory.

    Giroud would be the ONLY striker who would be on that sort of money who hasn’t scored 20 League goals for their club in the top leagues. So no he is not worth it.

    Lewis Hamilton is a FALSE equivalence. Lewis risks his life everytime he gets into his car and he is a 2 times world champion. Compare his wages to Messi if you like because he is on the world class level. And sorry but Giroud is not and is very lucky to be offered those wages because he wouldn’t get into PSG, Madrid or Barca. Let alone, Chelsea, Utd or City.

    1. keenosafc Post author

      I feel Giroud would get a lot more at other clubs. I have already given the example of Adebayor, who scored a similar amount of goals. He was on a lot more than Giroud.

      You say he is the only striker who has not scored 20 league goals who is on that kind of money. Can you provide your evidence for this? Or did you just make it up?

    2. Dave

      Yes, lewis does risk his life when he gets in his car but thats his choice and he gets paid for that. There has only been 1 death in F1 since Senna in May 1994. However how many legs have been broken in football and ruined there careers or heart attacks for that matter.

  3. romeo john

    I think he does but compare to Walcott he don’t and sometimes I see Wenger as bad coach due to the way he treats Walcott .Why allow his contract run down to only a year before negotiation for another . He boasted of the club war chest then Theo should be treated with respect because if he is not faithful gunner he could’ve cross over to the the bridge and other clubs where he could be offered at least 150 – 200k a week . He is an English and be treated as such.

    1. keenosafc Post author

      Walcott signed his new contract 2 years ago. since then, he has spent 2 years injured. I do not feel he has been treated wrongly. You want us to pay someone who has only played a handful of games in 2 years 150-200k a week (more than Ozil & Sanchez). OK

  4. thebottomcorner1

    The question is, if Costa is on 180k per week, is Giroud at least 50k less in quality to Costa?

    If Costa is on 180k, then Giroud deserves 130k per week. RVP got 230k, Falcao, 250k, Rooney 250k, anyone who thinks Giroud does not deserve 130k needs to have their heads checked.

    Same people who will complain will complain should he leave us.


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