All important pillars at Real Madrid for the past few years, David Alaba, Antonio Rüdiger, Éder Militão, and Dani Carvajal do not earn the same salary under Florentino Pérez. As we progress through the 2024-2025 season, here’s how much the defensive leaders of the Madrid defence earn.
Real Madrid is a club that takes its payroll very seriously. To comply with financial fair play regulations and maintain a sound financial balance, Florentino Pérez is very prudent when it comes to granting salaries to his players. While attackers earn significantly more, such as Kylian Mbappé, currently the highest-paid player at the club, the defenders receive respectable salaries. Today, despite being Carlo Ancelotti’s top-performing defender due to his colossal work in central defence over recent months, Antonio Rüdiger is not the highest-paid defender.
Antonio Rüdiger’s salary requires revision
At 31, the German stalwart, who continues to play a vital role in the team’s backline, is not earning in line with his contributions. Contrary to what one might think, Antonio Rüdiger lags far behind David Alaba (€22.5 million annually, the third highest-paid player at Real Madrid). With nearly €8 million separating them, the former Chelsea defender ranks seventh among Real Madrid’s top earners, with an annual salary of €14.58 million. With a monthly income of €1.22 million, the solid German defender is the third highest-paid player born in 1993.
Among 903 known contracts for defenders globally, Antonio Rüdiger ranks ninth. Unlike his time at Chelsea, where he earned a modest €6 million annually, it’s clear that Real Madrid pays Rüdiger much more, though he still trails David Alaba, who hasn’t played in over a year. Moreover, if all goes well, the Sierra Leonean-born defender is expected to receive a contract extension, which will inevitably lead to a salary increase under Florentino Pérez.
Salaries of other key defenders
Following David Alaba (€22.5 million annually) and Antonio Rüdiger (€14.58 million annually), Ferland Mendy remains the third highest-paid defender at Real Madrid, with an annual salary of €10.42 million. Thanks to his recent contract extension until 2027, the French left-back received a pay rise that places him ahead of Dani Carvajal (€9.78 million annually) and Lucas Vázquez (€9.38 million annually).
At 26, Éder Militão ranks 16th among Real Madrid’s top earners, with an annual salary of €8.52 million. Though he remains a key figure in Ancelotti’s squad whenever available, the Brazilian centre-back earns a fairly decent salary. It’s worth noting that the two lowest-paid defenders at Real Madrid are Fran García (€5.21 million annually) and Jesús Vallejo, who takes home a modest €1.8 million annually.
Currently considered the weakest player in Real Madrid’s squad, Vallejo is also the lowest earner. He is outpaced by young talents like Endrick and Arda Güler. By the end of the season, Florentino Pérez is expected to address the contractual situation of young Raúl Asensio, who is likely to receive an improved contract and officially enter the salary scale of the first team. With his strong performances, the 21-year-old Spanish defender should soon earn wages comparable to Fran García.
Meanwhile, if players like Trent Alexander-Arnold or Alphonso Davies join the squad as Marca said, they would command much higher salaries than most of Real Madrid’s current defenders due to their star status, making them highly sought after by Europe’s top clubs.
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