The Arsenal forward is just one of many who gets paid a handsome amount just to sit on the bench amid spells of illness, injury and bad form
GettyMesut Ozil – £350,000/week
Ozil has been left out of more Arsenal squads under manager Unai Emery than he has played in. The forward has suffered through illness and injury over the season but has also been dropped from the team altogether on more than one occasion, and has slowly drifted out of favour with the Frenchman.
The ex-Germany international is currently the Premier League's second-highest earner after Alexis Sanchez, who left the Emirates for Old Trafford in 2018, and has been an unused sub or left out of the squad completely in 20 games in all competitions as of mid-February.
AdvertisementGettyPhilippe Coutinho – £240,000/week
Pegged as the ideal replacement for Andres Iniesta, the former Liverpool midfielder has failed to live up to expectations so far at Camp Nou.
The Brazil international has had difficulty fitting into the team and nailing first-team action in La Liga, prompting early speculation that he could be set to leave the Catalan side already.
Getty ImagesRiyad Mahrez – £200,000/week
The former Leicester midfielder had a positive start to his new life at Man City, starting twice in his first five Premier League appearances. He has since failed to win a regular starting berth, however, with Pep Guardiola preferring him for cup games.
Since missing the chance to score an 85th-minute penalty against Liverpool in October, he has just scored three times in the league and named on the bench on four occasions.
Getty ImagesAdrien Rabiot – £50,000/week
The PSG midfielder has not played a solitary minute of Ligue 1 football since the 1-1 draw with Strasbourg in December as he continues to participate in a stand-off involving his refusal to sign a contract extension.
The Frenchman is said to have been banned from the first-team dressing room and forced to train with the reserves, and is expected to leave the club on a free deal this summer once his contract expires.