Almost all professional players in the Premier League have to pay taxes to the British Inland Revenue at the personal income tax rate of 40%. For example, Gerrard's pre-tax salary is 6,543,800 pounds a week, so after the club pays personal income tax, the real salary paid to Gerrard should be only 60,000 pounds.

Even according to the conventional tax rate itself (40%), it is lower than other European countries. In Italy, Spain, Germany and France, the equivalent tax rates are 45%, 43%, 50% and 57% respectively. So Britain has high wages and low tax rates.

The Spanish tax rate above is 43%, which is only the tax payable in Spain for five years, and the tax payable for less than five years is only 24%. So Ronaldinho and Eto 'o all want to leave Barcelona.

So if Ronaldo goes to Real Madrid, he only needs to pay 24% tax. If the same pre-tax weekly salary, it will be much more.