David Alaba, Antonio Rüdiger, Éder Militão, and Dani Carvajal are all key defenders for Real Madrid, but they don't have the same salary from Florentino Pérez. Here's how much they earn in the 2024-2025 season.
Real Madrid is a club that doesn't joke around with its payroll. To respect financial fair play and ensure the club's financial balance, Florentino Pérez is cautious when awarding salaries to his players. While attackers earn the most, defenders receive significant salaries as well.
Currently, Antonio Rüdiger is the number one defender in Carlo Ancelotti's squad due to his colossal work in central defense over the past few months. However, he's not the highest-paid defender.
Antonio Rüdiger's Salary Review
At 31, the German rock continues to play a crucial role in the team's defense but doesn't earn a salary commensurate with his work. Contrary to what one might think, Antonio Rüdiger is far behind David Alaba (€22.50 million per year, the third-highest-paid player at Real Madrid). With a difference of nearly €8 million, the former Chelsea defender ranks seventh among the highest-paid Madrid players, earning €14.58 million per year.
Rüdiger's monthly income is €1.22 million, making him the third-highest-paid player among those born in 1993. Among 903 known contracts for defenders worldwide, Rüdiger ranks ninth.
Compared to his Chelsea salary of €6 million per year, Real Madrid pays Rüdiger significantly more. If all goes well, the defender from Sierra Leone should benefit from a contract extension and, consequently, a salary increase from Florentino Pérez.
Salaries of Other Key Defenders
After David Alaba (€22.50 million per year) and Antonio Rüdiger (€14.58 million per year), Ferland Mendy is the third-highest-paid defender at Real Madrid, earning €10.42 million per year. Thanks to his recent contract extension until 2027, the French left-back received a salary increase, surpassing Dani Carvajal (€9.78 million per year) and Lucas Vázquez (€9.38 million per year).
Éder Militão, 26, ranks 16th among the highest-paid Real Madrid players, earning €8.52 million per year. While he's an essential player in Ancelotti's team, the Brazilian center-back receives a relatively decent salary.
The two lowest-paid defenders at Real Madrid are Fran García (€5.21 million per year) and Jesús Vallejo (€1.80 million per year). Vallejo, considered the weakest player in Real Madrid's current squad, earns the lowest salary, even lower than young players Endrick and Arda Güler.
By the end of the season, Florentino Pérez is expected to regulate Raúl Asensio's situation, providing the young defender with an improved contract and integrating him into the team's salary grid. With his good performances, the 21-year-old Spanish defender should receive a salary similar to Fran García's.
If players like Trent Alexander-Arnold or Alphonso Davies join the team, as reported by Marca, they would likely earn higher salaries than most of Real Madrid's current defenders due to their star status, highly coveted by top European clubs.