Kylian Mbappe will be one of the biggest names in LaLiga next season after finally being unveiled as a Real Madrid player last week, but he is set to miss out on top spot when it comes to his wages.
The France skipper was presented to a packed Bernabeu stadium after joining the Spanish giants on a free transfer earlier this summer. He underwent his medical on Tuesday following the conclusion of Euro 2024, in which he helped Le Blues to the semi-finals.
Mbappe was long linked with a move to Madrid but opted to stay with his former club PSG, who appeared to fling every available euro his way to ensure he stayed in the French capital.
As a result, the 25-year-old raked in millions but his move to Madrid has seen that pay packed slashed. According to The Sun, Mbappe will be the club's highest earner but he is some way short of the division's leader.
They claim that Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who has been linked with a move to Manchester United over the last few seasons, is LaLiga's highest earner with an annual wage of £31.6million.
In fact, Barcelona players occupy the top-two spots, with his team-mate Robert Lewandowski on a reported £28.2m. Then comes Mbappe on £26.3m per season.
Despite losing out in terms of basic wage Mbappe will be paid a sizeable signing on fee understood to be over 100m euros (£85.6m) and will keep an 80 per cent share of image rights on any new commercial deals he signs after becoming a Madrid player. This breaks from the normal 50-50 split the club usually imposes on new players.
La Liga announced the latest salary caps for all Spanish clubs last month. The figures are calculated according to each club’s projected income and spending, and govern their dealings in the transfer market.
Real Madrid have been set the highest salary cap at 727m euros (£622.5m) meaning they can take on the signing of Mbappe without having to sell. The news was much worse for Barcelona whose salary limit has been set at just 204m euros.
This figure is around 200m euros (£171m) above their current wage bill and means they will have to sell players this summer in order to be able to bring new players to the club.
Mbappe is one of six Real Madrid players in the top 10. Along with three Barcelona players, Spain's two biggest clubs account for the largest wages in the top-flight.
The only exception, according to the report, is Atletico Madrid stopper Jan Oblak. He narrowly makes the top five of the list with an annual salary of £17.5m, the same pocketed by Madrid winger Vinicius Jnr.
Just ahead of them is defender David Alaba on £19m, who has been out since December with an ACL injury. The three other members of Carlo Ancelotti's squad that are included in the list are goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, Federico Valverde and Jude Bellingham.
Courtois, who also missed a large portion of last season with an ACL injury before suffering a setback on his return, reportedly earns £12.2m. Just ahead of him in ninth-place is Valverde with £12.6m.
Bellingham finds himself a little higher up the list in seventh-place with an annual wage of £15.8m. He joined the side last summer and enjoyed a stunning debut season that - along with his team-mates Vinicius - has seen him listed among the leading contenders for the Ballon d'Or.
Former Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan is the final inclusion. His £14m wage sees him in eight-place.
