CELTIC are spending more than twice as much on their average weekly wage bill as rivals Rangers and more than five times that of Aberdeen, a new financial study has revealed.

The Global Salaries Survey conducted by Sporting Intelligence shows that the Hoops are shelling out an average £14,135 per week on their Treble-winning squad’s salaries, compared to £6,338 by the Gers and the Dons’ £2,623.

And while that sum places them at a lowly number 203 in the world rankings, it blows their domestic competition out of the water.

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Celtic’s average annual wage expenditure comes in at £735,040 compared to the Gers’ £329,600 and Aberdeen’s £136,382.

Hearts are the next highest spenders in the league with an average annual outlay of £95,514 and weekly average of £1,837, compared to rivals Hibernian who are just two places behind with costs of £87,100 and £1,675 respectively.

Hamilton Academical are the lowest spenders in the division with just £798 per week being spent on a player’s wage and a yearly average of £41,488.

The bottom seven sides in the Ladbrokes Premiership are grouped quite closely in the overall world ranking, occupying spots between Dundee in 334 and Accies in 348.

The survey states: “Among the leagues in this survey, the Scottish Premiership is uncompetitive.

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"The difference between the average basic Celtic salary at the top of the Scottish Premiership pay list (£735,000) and the average Hamilton salary at the bottom (£41,000) is even larger than last season, when it was ‘only’ 16.9 times bigger. 

“To put this into context, there is less of a resource gulf between Celtic and their 2017-18 Champions League group stage opponents Paris Saint-Germain than between Celtic and most clubs in their domestic division. 

"Using our GSSS numbers from this report, PSG’s players earn ‘only’ 8.8 times as much as Celtic’s.

“Celtic are paying substantially more than double the amount even of their closest rivals Rangers, and almost as much by themselves as their 11 division rivals combined. So it isn’t a shock that Celtic began the season with expectations they would win a seventh league title in a row. 

“It is difficult to see how this will change any time soon, not least with Celtic increasingly locked in to the virtuous cycle that is regular Champions League football - and the extra money it brings, and the extra advantage that provides.”

Wage expenditure of Ladbrokes Premiership clubs

(World ranking/Average annual spend/Average weekly wage)

203 - Celtic - £735,040 / £14,135

256 - Rangers - £329,600 / £6,338

313 - Aberdeen - £136,382 / £2,623

316 - Hearts - £95,514 / £1,837

318 - Hibs - £87,100 / £1,675

334 - Dundee - £59,904 / £1,152

337 - Partick Thistle - £58,175 / £1,119

338 - Ross County - £56,394 / £1,085

341 - Kilmarnock - £55,100 / £1,060

346 - St Johnstone - £47,992 / £923

347 - Motherwell - £42,662 / £820

348 - Hamilton - £41,488 / £798