Tottenham Hotspur spent significantly less on wages than the rest of the Premier League top six last season, with a bill closer to Burnley's than North London rivals Arsenal.
Although Spurs' wage bill rose to £127 million for the year ending June 30, 2017, up from £100m in the previous year, it was still lower than Arsenal's £199m and less than half that of Manchester United (£264m), who had the highest in the Premier League.
Burnley, who were promoted in the 2015-16 season, had the lowest wage bill in the Premier League last season at £61m. It means Spurs spent £66m more than Burnley, but £72m less than Arsenal.
Tottenham's £27m rise followed a flurry of new long-term contracts for the majority of the first-team squad, including Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen, while chairman Daniel Levy's pay rose from £2.8m in 2015-16 to £6m last season due to bonuses and a remuneration committee review.
Even after the growth #THFC £127m wage bill is still miles behind the rest of the Big Six. The closest is Arsenal, £72m higher at £199m, while Manchester United's £264m is more than twice as much. #MCFC covers a 13 month accounting period, so would be £244m for 12 months. pic.twitter.com/7iX8EDMpBB
— Swiss Ramble (@SwissRamble) April 9, 2018
Manchester City recorded the same figure as United but for a 13-month accounting period. Last season's champions Chelsea had a total bill of £220m, while Liverpool's was £208m.
Spurs' rigid wage structure was criticised by defender Danny Rose on the eve of this season when he told a national newspaper he was underpaid, and the club's hardball stance has led to a breakdown in contract talks with centre-half Toby Alderweireld over his demands for a long-term contract worth more than £160,000-a-week.
Tottenham's best-paid player is Kane, who earns roughly £100,000-a-week with significant performance-related bonuses worth up to an additional £50,000-per-week.