Chelsea top wage earners revealed AFTER coronavirus pay-cut with Kepa top of list on £135,000-a-week along with Kante
CHELSEA players are set to take a 10 per cent pay cut during the coronavirus pandemic in a bid to save £10million from the club's wage bill.
The Blues haven't stepped on a football pitch since March 8 and football's lockdown has starved even the biggest teams of vital income.
With a wage bill topping £825m at the latest accounts, SunSport revealed over the weekend that a unanimous vote across the dressing room gave the green light to a temporary pay cut.
The squad will accept the deduction from next month until the anticipated start of next season, in September.
Unlike Arsenal, it does not feature any incentive to recover lost earnings by qualifying for next season's Champions League.
It means a sizeable £15,000-a-week decrease for Chelsea's two top earners; N'Golo Kante and Kepa Arrizabalaga.
The pair are currently on £150,000-a-week and will earn £135,000 after the cut takes effect.
Summer signing Christian Pulisic is set to drop to £130,500 from next month with Willian and Callum Hudosn-Odoi, who agreed a new five-year deal in September, are to be on £108,000.
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With such a young squad, Roman Abramovich's highest paid players are also their most experienced with Jorginho and Olivier Giroud up on £99,000 after this cut takes effect.
Mateo Kovacic is next on the list before a swell of players at the £100,00-a-week tier; Ross Barkley, Pedro, Antonio Rudiger and Marcos Alonso seeing their salary drop to £90,000 from next month.
According to , star forward Tammy Abraham is some way back on £50,000 before the cuts having last put pen to paper in 2017.
When added to the dudctions being accepted by top staff, a total saving of £10m is hoped to be added to the Blues' books.
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Frank Lampard has also voluntarily taken a 25 per cent hit on his £5m-a-year pay packet reduced, worth £1.25m.
The move also follows owner Abramovich lending Stamford Bridge's services to beleaguered NHS staff.
The Russian billionaire opened the doors of the stadium's 72-room hotel for local health workers to stay in, free of charge, in between shifts - a move that was key to convincing the players a pay cut was worth it.
And the Bridge's kitchens were also utilised to cook free meals for workers battling the Covid-19 pandemic.
