Arshavin: I didn’t realise I was paying so much in tax!

Playmaker Andrey Arshavin is looking to renegotiate the payment terms of his Arsenal contract, after discovering that the top income tax bracket in the UK was 40 percent.

Understandably, this was a big shock to the Russian international who was only paying 13 percent tax in his home country. From next April a new 50 percent tax rate is being introduced in England for 750,000 top earners on more than £150,000 per annum.

The 27-year-old said: “I have a problem with my contract. Certain nuances emerged linked to taxation and some other things. As a result, I’m getting less money than I expected. It’s not critical but I still need to put it right.

“My agent is now taking care of it. My advice to other Russian players who may move to England in the summer is to take contract matters more seriously.

“It’s important to understand clearly and in detail what money you are going to get and what taxes to pay, so that there are no unpleasant surprises of the kind I am facing now. Nothing should be done in a rush.”

This new tax issue could well have an impact on players deciding to play in the Premier League. Despite some clubs on the continent paying less wages, they could now match the earnings of English-based players since the tax rate in Spain (25%), France (40%), Italy (43%) and Germany (45%) is lower.