The 30-year-old midfielder earns €6.5 million net per year, a full €1m in excess of the second-highest earner - Napoli's Gonzalo Higuain - and €2m more than his Giallorossi skipper Francesco Totti.
Serie A's lack of financial pull is well reflected by the figures, which were published by La Gazzetta dello Sport. Only 12 players across the country earn in excess of €4m per annum, compared to 13 members of Chelsea's squad who are reported to earn the same figure.
