Real Madrid have long been very effective at securing their best players to lengthy contracts as soon as there is rival interest or any suggestion of discontent, and they have done just that with Rodrygo.
The new deal penned by the Brazilian forward removes any speculation that he could soon be on the market, not that there really was any chance of him leaving the Spanish club.
We are all more than aware of the spending power that Real Madrid possesses, and La Liga reveal each club’s salary limit at the start of the season. Real Madrid’s allocation of €727m (£635m) is more than double any other side in the Spanish top flight.
An extra chunk of that will now have been taken up by the new deal for Rodrygo, which comes soon after fellow Brazilian Vinicius Jr signed fresh terms.
Here is how Rodrygo’s wage compares to his compatriot and Real Madrid’s other stars.
Having arrived at Real Madrid in 2019 for a huge fee the equivalent of £39m, the former Santos youngster had a lot of pressure put on him straight from the off. He repaid that by hitting the ground running and he has certainly been a great signing.
Rodrygo was rewarded for settling in well with a new contract in July 2022 that was set to run out in 2025. Obviously, that featured a pay rise and it took him £7.2m per season, meaning there were still many at Real Madrid getting paid more than him.
He was still earning more than important players such as Eder Militao and Federico Valverde, who may now feel that they are in line for a wage bump if there is money in the pot.
😄🏆😄#Rodrygo2028 pic.twitter.com/8gH6bB9t9m
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) November 2, 2023
While the club have been keen to keep Rodrygo’s new salary under wraps, initial reports suggest that he has entered the same wage bracket as Vinicius, earning £8.7m-per-year after tax.
The new deal will keep him at the club until the summer of 2028 and crucially, he has been given the huge €1bn release clause that only most valuable players at the Bernabeu get, which essentially means that if anyone wants to buy him, it will only be on Real Madrid’s terms.
There had been suggestions from Rodrygo himself that he isn’t loving his current role at Real Madrid, given he is being used as part of a narrow attacking duo rather than as a winger. This new contract ends any idea that Rodrygo was heading towards the exit door. Signing the deal suggests he has fully brought into what Carlo Ancelotti is trying to do.
|
Player |
Position |
Weekly wage |
|---|---|---|
|
Toni Kroos |
Midfielder |
£408,000 |
|
David Alaba |
Defender |
£377,000 |
|
Luka Modric |
Midfielder |
£366,000 |
|
Vinicius Junior |
Forward |
£360,000 |
|
Rodrygo |
Forward |
£360,000 |
|
Jude Bellingham |
Midfielder |
£349,000 |
|
Thibaut Courtois |
Goalkeeper |
£251,000 |
|
Antonio Rudiger |
Defender |
£244,000 |
|
Aurelien Tchouameni |
Midfielder |
£209,000 |
|
Dani Carvajal |
Defender |
£175,000 |
|
Ferland Mendy |
Defender |
£175,000 |
|
Dani Ceballos |
Midfielder |
£175,000 |
|
Lucas Vazquez |
Defender |
£157,000 |
|
Kepa Arrizabalaga |
Goalkeeper |
£151,000 |
|
Nacho Fernandez |
Defender |
£143,000 |
|
Eduardo Camavinga |
Midfielder |
£140,000 |
|
Federico Valverde |
Midfielder |
£136,000 |
|
Eder Militao |
Defender |
£122,000 |
|
Brahim Diaz |
Midfielder |
£122,000 |
|
Fran Garcia |
Defender |
£87,000 |
|
Arda Guler |
Midfielder |
£87,000 |
|
Andriy Lunin |
Goalkeeper |
£47,000 |
|
Joselu |
Forward |
£42,000 |
Data from Capology (via FBref)
Rodrygo’s reported wage bump has seen him leap above the likes of Aurelien Tchouameni, Antonio Rudiger and even Jude Bellingham in Madrid’s wage scale.
Age is often a factor with these leaderboards and the top earners tend to be players that are either in their prime or have just tipped beyond it. For that reason, Toni Kroos (33), David Alaba (31) and Luka Modric (38) are the highest earners at Real Madrid.
Real Madrid’s club statement about the contract listed Rodrygo’s achievements since arriving at the club, justifying the new deal.
“In his five seasons defending the first team shirt he has played 179 games, in which he has scored 39 goals and won eight titles: one Champions League, one Club World Cup, one European Super Cup, two Leagues, one Copa del Rey and two Spanish Super Cups,” it read.
“At 22 years old, Rodrygo has been decisive in many titles that Real Madrid has won in recent seasons. On the way to the 14th European Cup, Rodrygo scored several goals that allowed Real Madrid to overcome those qualifying rounds that are now part of our history. In the team’s last title, the 2023 Copa del Rey in Seville, he scored the two winning goals (2-1) and was the MVP of the final.”
Rodrygo has struggled for influence so far in the 2023/24 season, scoring just one goal across the club’s first 11 games. Vinicius only scored twice himself during the same timeframe. However, Ancelotti was bullish that both of his newly monied Brazilians would hit top form by the end of the campaign.
“I think Rodrygo and Vinícius are going to score more goals during the season,” Ancelotti declared at the start of November. “They’ll score more than Bellingham [ten league goals] and Joselu [five]. We don’t have any doubts about that.” The club clearly share Ancelotti’s confidence.
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