Underused Yussuf Poulsen highlights HSV's top earner dilemma

HSV’s highest‑paid player, 32‑year‑old Danish striker Yussuf Poulsen, featured only once in the starting lineup as the club endured its first hard test in a friendly on Saturday afternoon against Premier League side FC Everton, ultimately falling 1‑2 after a stoppage‑time goal.

Poulsen’s sole Bundesliga goal came in a dramatic 3‑2 derby victory over Werder Bremen, a strike that shattered the celebration walls at the Volksparkstadion and prompted him to joke that he should now end his career.

The Dane has made only 15 appearances for Hamburg in the German top flight and has started just once, in the last‑minute 1‑1 draw against Borussia Dortmund on 8 November 2025.

His salary exceeds HSV’s internal rule that no player should earn more than €1.8 million base, a contrast highlighted by loan midfielder Fabio Vieira from FC Arsenal, who reportedly earned over €2 million last season and whose future remained undecided on 2 August 2026.

If Vieira returns to London, Poulsen will stay HSV’s top earner, supplemented by additional bonuses and prize payments.

Earlier in his career, while at Leipzig, the Dane earned only €1 million at the end of his contract, according to the current edition of SPORT .