Unequal game: Levy paid more last season than entire Spurs women’s team and staff

Daniel Levy, the former executive chairman of Tottenham, was paid more during the 2024-25 season than all 64 players and staff at the club’s women’s team combined, the publication of their latest financial accounts has shown.

The highest-paid director, widely understood to be Levy, received £5.76m in remuneration for the year ending 30 June 2025, a significant uplift of around 54% to what he was paid in 2024 and, according to the football finance expert Kieran Maguire, ensured Levy was the Premier League’s highest-paid director last season. He departed Spurs in September after almost 25 years in charge.

The women’s team’s total salaries and bonuses last season totalled £3.73m – up 23% since 2024 – with each employee earning around £58k per annum on average, and after social security costs and other pension costs were included, Tottenham Women’s total wage bill stood at £4.3m. Despite a notable increase in investment in the women’s team, that total wage bill figure was lower than several of the other Women’s Super League clubs who have published their accounts for 2024-25, including Brighton (£5m), Manchester United (£5.88m) and Arsenal (£11.3m), but higher than Liverpool’s (£3.12m).

Tottenham’s women’s team made a loss after tax of £2.83m, similar to their £2.73m loss in 2024. That came despite an impressive increase in the commercial income, which more than doubled, from £1.46m up to £3.34m, demonstrating improvements off the pitch. Their broadcast revenue of £267,414 remained the same as 2024, but there was a decrease in prize money of around £600,000.

Tottenham finished 11th in the WSL last season, the campaign these latest financial accounts relate to, but they have displayed major improvements on the pitch this season to sit fifth with three games remaining, and have nearly doubled their tally of league victories from last term. The club are understood to have enhanced their investments in the women’s team this season, which is likely to be reflected in their 2025-26 accounts, which are released next spring.

It is understood that women’s football has been repositioned as a strategic priority at Tottenham following an internal review.