What is Jan Bednarek's estimated annual salary at Southampton? | OneFootball

Southampton defender Jan Bednarek remained at the club this summer following relegation from the Premier League.

Bednarek joined the Saints from Lech Poznan for a fee of around £5 million in July 2017 and he became a mainstay at the heart of the defence after Ralph Hasenhuttl's arrival in December 2018.

The 27-year-old was allowed to join Aston Villa last September, but after making just four appearances during his temporary spell at Villa Park, he was recalled to St Mary's in January by then manager Nathan Jones.

Bednarek regained his place in the Southampton team after his return to the South Coast, but he was unable to prevent the club's relegation from the top flight.

According to The Athletic, the Poland international was attracting interest from unnamed European sides this summer, but the Saints managed to keep hold of him.

Bednarek was a regular for Southampton at the start of the season, but he has struggled with injury in recent weeks, while his place could be under threat after the arrivals of Mason Holgate and Taylor Harwood-Bellis on loan from Everton and Manchester City respectively.

As Bednarek looks to help the Saints make an immediate return to the Premier League this season, we looked at how much he is earning at St Mary's.

What is Jan Bednarek's estimated annual salary at Southampton?

According to Capology, Bednarek earns £60,000 per week and £3,120,000 per year, although it should be stressed that this is an estimate.

That makes Bednarek the club's fourth-highest paid player, with only Stuart Armstrong (£65,000 per week) and Mason Holgate and Joe Aribo (both £70,000 per week) receiving more than the defender.

There were a number of high-profile exits from Southampton this summer, including James Ward-Prowse, Romeo Lavia, Nathan Tella, Tino Livramento, Mislav Orsic, Ibrahima Diallo, Mohammed Salisu and Moussa Djenepo, and the departures have significantly reduced the club's wage bill.

The Saints also received sizeable transfer fees for some of their outgoing players which has helped to balance the books and ensure the club is operating sustainably in the Championship.

Despite the sales, Southampton still have one of the largest wage bills in the Championship, with a weekly payroll of £771,808 and an annual payroll of £40,134,000.

This gives the Saints a huge advantage over many of their second tier rivals, but it also puts pressure on Russell Martin and his squad to achieve promotion this season.

After an excellent start to the campaign, it has been a tough few weeks for Southampton, and they have looked particularly vulnerable defensively, conceding a number of goals while trying to play out from the back.

It will inevitably take time for the Saints to adapt to Martin's possession-based style of play, and the 37-year-old will be keen to get Bednarek back fit and into the starting line-up as soon as possible to help tighten his side up.

Bednarek will be crucial for Southampton if they are to bounce back to the Premier League at the first attempt, and he will be hoping to impress this season to secure his place in the Poland squad for Euro 2024.