When
the question “Who is the best footballer in the world?” arises, the answer in
most cases will be the likes of Lionel Messi, Mo Salah, Mbappe, and Lewandowski
– all that are attackers.
Those
in defensive positions do not get enough recognition due to their roles being
underrated. Regardless, for a team to succeed, its defenders must equally be as
quality as its attackers.
With that in mind, here's a list of the ten
best-paid defenders in the world today.
10. Gerard Pique (FC Barcelona) - £220,000 Per
Week
For over a decade,
Gerard Pique, has been the heart of FC Barcelona defence.
Gerard
Piqué extended his contract until 20 June 2024 in 2020 and his buy-out
clause stands at 500 million euros.
Due
to financial struggles Barcelona are facing, Pique agreed to a 50% pay cut from
his 30 million euros annual salary.
9. Virgil van Djik (Liverpool) – £220,000 Per Week
Arguably
the best centre-back in the world right now, Virgil van Djik joined Liverpool
from Southampton in the 2017/18 winter transfer window.
Liverpool
paid £75 million for his services making him the most expensive defender in the
history of the Premier League at the time.
His
arrival at Anfield solidified Liverpool’s defense that had a long reputation of
being vulnerable.
He was
clutch as Liverpool won the UEFA Champions League in 2019 and English Premier
League in 2020.
The
Dutch man won the UEFA Men’s Player of the year in 2018 and finished runner up
for the Ballon d’Or and the Best FIFA Men’s player award 2019.
He
recently extended his contract with Liverpool until 2025. His current weekly
wage is £220,000.
8. Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich) - £238,000 Per
Week
Although
his career with Bayern hasn’t being as glamourous due injury problems, Lucas
Hernandez is undoubtedly a majestic defender.
He was
part of Atletico Madrid team that reached the 2016 UEFA Champions league final
and won the Europa league in 2018.
He
also played as a left-back for France as they won the 2018 FIFA World cup,
beating Croatia 4-2 in the final.
On 27 March 2019, Bayern Munich announced that
Hernandez would join the club on 1 July 2019 for a club record (and Bundesliga
record) fee of €80 million, signing a five-year contract lasting until 2024.
7. Marquinhos (PSG) - £250,000 Per Week
Marquinhos
arrived at PSG in 2013 from AS Roma. He has steadily grown as one of the best
in his position and a stalwart for PSG.
The
27-year-old Brazilian is the current captain of the Ligue 1 side, a position he
has held since the departure of Thiago Silva in 2020.
His
contract with the Parisians runs until 2024. His weekly wage of £250,000 makes
him one of the best paid players in France.
6. John Stones (Manchester City) - £250,000 Per
Week
Manchester
city acquired John Stones from Everton for a reported fee of £47.6 million in
2016. The centre-back was highlighted as a future star and an impressive
signing for City.
Stones
was a crucial member of Manchester city team that won the Premier league in the
2020/21 season, having forged a remarkable partnership with Ruben Dias at the
back.
His current
contract runs until 2026 and he stands to earn an average annual salary of £13
million.
5. Marcelo Viera (Real Madrid) - £260,000 Per Week
Already
a Real Madrid Legend, Marcelo has been Bernabeu since 2007.
He has
been a crucial figure as Real Madrid achieved immeasurable success in the last
decade.
His
current contract runs until the summer of 2022.
4. Mathisj De Ligt (Juventus) - £280,000 Per Week
De
Ligt announced himself to the world in 2018, where he was the captain of the Ajax
team that surprisingly reached the UEFA champions league semi-final.
Juventus
splashed out a £67.5 million transfer fee to sign the Dutch centre-back from
Ajax in 2019.
3. David Alaba (Real Madrid) - £318,000 Per Week
David
Alaba established himself as one of the best defenders in the world during his
time at Bayern Munich.
The
Austrian won 10 Bundesliga titles, 2 UEFA Champions league titles and 2 FIFA
Club world cups at Allianz arena.
His tenure
with the Bavarians came to an end in 2021 after failing to extend his contract,
hence moving to Real Madrid on a free transfer.
At
Real Madrid, Alaba will earn 19.47 euros per season, with his contract expiring
in 2026 and his release clause set at 845 million euros.
2. Raphael Varane (Manchester United) - £340,000
Per Week
Varane
is considered one of the best centre backs of his generation thanks to his
trophy laden spell at Bernabeu. He won 3 Laliga titles, four UEFA Champions league
titles and four FIFA Club World cups with Real Madrid.
He was
also integral as France won the 2018 FIFA World cup in Russia.
The France international made a £40 million
move from Bernabeu to Old Trafford in the 2021 summer transfer window.
Manchester United will be
paying Varane £17.6
million per year that is triple what he was earning at Real Madrid making him one of the best paid footballers in the Premier League.
1. Sergio Ramos (PSG) - £343,000 Per Week
Arguably
one of the greatest defenders of all time, Sergio Ramos is one of few
footballers to master the art of defending to the letter.
Sergio Ramos was
crucial member of the Real Madrid team since 2005 after joining them from
Sevilla. Starting out as a right back in the early years of his career then
transitioning into a centre back, his prowess as a defender is rivalled by few.
His contract with Real Madrid expired in 2021, where he was forced to join PSG on a free transfer. He is one of PSG’s highest earners – earning over £400,000 per week. His net worth in 2021 is estimated to be $80 million
Comments
Post a Comment