It has emerged that Sunderland are apparently paying striker Will Grig a similar wage to that of the entire Wycombe Wanderers squad put together receive.

The information came after an interview by The Football League Paper with Wycombe manager Gareth Ainsworth, during which the publication reported that Grigg: "earns almost as much in a year as the entire Wanderers squad."

It makes the fact that The Chairboys currently sit just one place behind the Black Cats in the third-tier, level on points and with a game in hand, even more impressive as both hunt down promotion to The Championship.

Grigg has played just 19 times for Sunderland this season, scoring one goal, and has not played since the middle of December.

QUIZ: Can you name these 15 ex-Wycombe right-backs?

Ainsworth has been at the helm of The Chairboys since 2012, starting off as a player-manager before taking on the role full-time after hanging up his boots in 2014.

As things stand, Wycombe sit in eighth place in League One but are level on points with Sunderland in seventh and Peterborough in sixth, with a game in hand on both sides.

This weekend sees them come up against Burton Albion at The Pirelli Stadium with the possibility of moving as high as third ahead of them if results elsewhere are kind to them.

The verdict

This shows just what a strange league of contrast League One has become in recent years.

It also emphasises that money can only get you so far in the division and highlights the lack of understanding many clubs have. The likes of Sunderland have clearly felt that if enough cash is thrown at the situation then it will sort itself out.

But that has not been the case. We saw Sheffield United remain marooned in League One for years before eventually escaping under Chris Wilder. And it could be that Sunderland end up in a similar situation.

Ainsworth's managerial class has been what has seen Wycombe overachieve.