Much has been written on the growth of sports analytics and its effects on team performances. However, little is known on whether or how advanced performance metrics deliver salary returns to players. Our study attempts to fill this gap and covers English Premier League and Italy Serie A seasons 2017/18 to 2021/22. We apply a matched data set of salaries of players who have just signed new contracts together with a large set of performance metrics (N = 992). Although most of the detailed metrics are irrelevant for player salary we find that some advanced metrics do contribute significantly towards player pay. Specifically, defenders are rewarded for pass completion rates, midfielders gain salary premia for assists and total distance of passes completed. Forwards are rewarded for expected goals (as opposed to actual goals) and shooting accuracy. Our results show that the growth of sports analytics in European football has filtered down to some extent to have meaningful effects on players’ bargained salary outcomes.