Footballers with English Premier League club Manchester City are themost highly-paid athletes in global sport, according to a study published onWednesday.The study, carried out by Britain's Sporting Intelligence website, found that theaverage annual salary of a first-team player at City was £5.3 million ($8.9 million,6.4 million euros).City top the list ahead of Major League Baseball teams the New York Yankees andthe LA Dodgers, with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester United andChelsea also featuring in the top 10.NBA teams the Brooklyn Nets and the Chicago Bulls complete the line-up.City's lavish spending on players has not been without complications, however.Reports in the British media suggest that City are due to face punishment forcontravening European governing body UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules, whichoblige clubs not to spend beyond their means. Top 10 best-paid players in world sport (average annual salary in £ sterling):1. Manchester City (Premier League) £5.337 million2. New York Yankees (Major League Baseball) £5.286 million3. LA Dodgers (Major League Baseball) £5.119 million4. Real Madrid (La Liga) £4.993 million5. Barcelona (La Liga) £4.901 million6. Brooklyn Nets (NBA) £4.485 million7. Bayern Munich (Bundesliga) £4.402 million8. Manchester United (Premier League) £4.322 million 9. Chicago Bulls (NBA) £3.985 million10. Chelsea (Premier League) £3.984 million Source: AFP