French Footballers
Retained List tracks 19 French footballers with a combined weekly wage of approximately £1,512,907. Kylian Mbappé currently leads as the highest-paid French player at £600,962/week.
Verified August 2026
| # | Player | Club | Position | Age | Contract | Weekly Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kylian Mbappé | Real Madrid | Forward | 27 | June 2029 | £600,962 |
| 2 | Wesley Fofana | Chelsea | Defender | 25 | June 2029 | £200,000 |
| 3 | Lucas Digne | Aston Villa | Defender | 33 | June 2028 | £160,000 |
| 4 | Benoît Badiashile | Chelsea | Defender | 25 | June 2030 | £90,000 |
| 5 | Jean-Clair Todibo | West Ham United | Defender | 26 | June 2029 | £80,000 |
| 6 | Allan Saint-Maximin | Free Agent | Forward | 29 | June 2027 | £75,000 |
| 7 | Mathys Tel | Tottenham Hotspur | Forward | 21 | June 2031 | £65,892 |
| 8 | Issa Diop | Ipswich Town | Defender | 29 | June 2027 | £55,000 |
| 9 | Jean-Philippe Mateta | Crystal Palace | Forward | 29 | June 2027 | £50,000 |
| 10 | Thierno Barry | Everton | Forward | 23 | June 2028 | £50,000 |
| 11 | Anthony Knockaert | Free Agent | Midfielder | 34 | June 2024 | £37,500 |
| 12 | Giulian Biancone | Free Agent | Defender | 26 | June 2027 | £20,000 |
| 13 | Lesley Ugochukwu | Burnley | Midfielder | 24 | June 2027 | £20,000 |
| 14 | Timothée Pembélé | Free Agent | Defender | 23 | July 2024 | £6,153 |
| 15 | Willy Kambwala | Free Agent | Defender | 22 | June 2029 | £1,400 |
| 16 | Wilson Odobert | Tottenham Hotspur | Forward | 21 | June 2028 | £1,000 |
| 17 | Aladji Bamba | Newcastle | Midfielder | 20 | June 2031 | — |
| 18 | Lucas Gourna-Douath | Hull City | Midfielder | 23 | June 2031 | — |
| 19 | Raphael Varane | Free Agent | Defender | 33 | June 2024 | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the highest-paid French footballer?
Kylian Mbappé is the highest-paid French footballer on Retained List, earning £600,962 per week at Real Madrid.
How many French players are tracked on Retained List?
We track 19 senior French footballers across the leagues we cover. The count updates whenever a player's nationality or club changes.
What is the combined wage bill of French players?
The 19 French players in our database earn a combined £1,512,907 per week in published wages. Annualised, that is roughly £78,671,164.
Which clubs employ the most French players?
Club concentration varies by league and recruitment cycle. Filter the contract tracker by club, or scan the table above for the most common employers of French players.
Does this list include dual-nationality French players?
Players are tagged by the nationality recorded on their primary registration. Dual-national players appear under the nationality used by their senior international career, where applicable.