Online independent casino reviewer CasinoBonusCA compiled the annual salaries of all 20 Premier League teams and ranked them from most expensive to least to find out how the table would stand if wages were the sole determining factor.
A spokesperson for CasinoBonusCA said: “The increase of money in football has been rapid and it’s showing no sign of slowing down.
“Considering the money that teams invest in players and the potential to rely on them to carry their teams, it’s very interesting to see how different things would be if the players’ wages was actually the only factor involved!”
Using data from spotrac.com, the total annual salary of each Premier League team was collected.
The teams were ranked according to where they would sit if players’ annual wages determined their place.
You can view where Brighton & Hove Albion stand in the Premier League wages league table in the gallery below.
1. This is where Brighton rank in the Premier League wages league table compared to Chelsea, Man United, Leeds and Newcastle - gallery
It’s known that a lot of money is involved in professional football, but in recent years it’s become very clear that the amount of money invested in a team doesn’t equate directly to ranking Photo: Michael Regan/Getty Images
2. Chelsea - £212,090,000
Chelsea would be top of the Premier League if money was the determining factor. The Blues have a combined team wage total of just over £212m Photo: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
3. Manchester United - £211,875,000
Manchester United’s total wage is £211,875,000, which keeps the current third-placed team in the top three. David de Gea earns the most at Old Trafford, pocketing £19.5m a year Photo: PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images
4. Manchester City - £182,640,000
Despite a healthy total annual team salary of £182,640,000, Manchester City is the first team with a total annual wage below £200m. City's most expensive player is Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne, who earns £20.8m annually. Photo: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images