Real Madrid may be in the midst of a relatively frugal period in their modern history but they remain financial behemoths in Spain.
Unlike many other European leagues, 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.
Vinicius Junior's new contract will take up a sizeable portion of Madrid's kitty. After the club finally announced a deal that had been in the works for more than 18 months, here's how Vinicius' wage bump compares to his Real Madrid teammates.
Vinicius Junior's previous salary at Real Madrid
Since Carlo Ancelotti's return to Real Madrid in the summer of 2021, only Karim Benzema (74) has scored more goals for the capital giants than Vinicius (45). Yet, the Brazilian - who registered an unrivalled 37 assists in this timeframe - was one of the worst-paid players in the entire squad, despite incremental wage increases, until his new bump.
Negotiations for Vinicius' new deal began as early as the start of 2022 - his initial contract signed upon his arrival from Flamengo pocketed a basic annual salary of £2.8m, the equivalent of £54,000-per-week after tax.
Only three players on Madrid's roster - the scarcely used Spaniards Dani Ceballos and Jesus Vallejo along with backup goalkeeper Andriy Lunin - would have earned less last season if those numbers hadn't increased with percentage uplifts year on year.
Vinicius Junior's new salary at Real Madrid
Three weeks before the news broke, 90min reported that Vinicius had finally come to an arrangement with Madrid's penny-pinching hierarchy. There was never any doubt that the Brazilian would leave the club - even though his previous contract expired in 2024 - but the deal took time to get over the line while the final details were ironed out.
Ultimately, the two parties have come to the agreement of £8.7m-per-year according to The Athletic. This figure does not include any bonuses and is an estimation after tax, which is 47% for the highest income bracket in Spain. Before paying his dues, Vinicius is expected to make around £360,000-per-week.
Vinicius' new deal runs until 2027 and boasts a gargantuan release clause of €1bn.
Vinicius Junior's reported salary compared to his Real Madrid teammates
Data from Capology (via FBref)
Vinicius' new deal was initially billed as bigger than any other Real Madrid player. However, following the confirmation of his contract, Vinicius still ranks behind some of Madrid's wizened veterans.
Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, the oldest pairing in Madrid's squad, are two of the three highest-paid players in the capital. The 31-year-old David Alaba is the only other Madrid player to earn more than Vinicius.
The Brazilian is one of five players in the top tier of salary earners at Madrid and played a role in bringing the final member of this well-paid quintet to Spain. "I wanted Jude at Real Madrid," Vinicius revealed after Madrid's latest sensation scored a spectacular goal against Napoli in the Champions League group stage.
"I sent many messages to Bellingham last year. I was texting every day and I was telling him: come to Madrid." Vinicius greased the wheels of a move that earns Bellingham a reported £349,000-per-week, considerably more than Madrid's next highest earner Thibaut Courtois (£251,000-per-week).
Negotiations for Vinicius' new contract began the year in which he scored the winning goal for Madrid in the Champions League final. Courtois was quite clearly the best player in that match, making nine saves to deny Liverpool, but is considerably further down the wage scale than his goalscoring colleague. As Courtois would no doubt be quick to point out, that highlights the skewed importance of forwards.
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This article was originally published on 90min as Vinicius Junior new contract wages compared to Jude Bellingham and Real Madrid teammates.
