Bellingham with Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe (Image: GETTY)
Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham has been handed a pay rise of around £4million a year, putting him on a par with the club's highest-paid star, new signing Kylian Mbappe.
The England midfielder has been a revelation for Madrid over the past year, scoring 23 goals in all competitions and playing a pivotal role in the team's La Liga and Champions League triumphs under Carlo Ancelotti.
Bellingham, who was signed from Borussia Dortmund last summer for a fee of around £88.5million when he was considered one of the world's most promising young talents, has now had his salary increased by Madrid, according to The Sun. This follows a similar move for Brazilian striker Vinicius Jr.
The pair, who previously earned around £8.4million a year, now receive the same annual salary of £12.5million as Mbappe, amid fears of potential discord within the trio if they were not paid equally.
Bellingham and Mbappe are two of the biggest names in world football (Image: GETTY)
The report suggests that all three earn the same amount as former high earners Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Eden Hazard.
Despite suffering a muscle injury in training last month, Bellingham has already made three appearances in all competitions for Madrid this season, returning quicker than expected to start their 3-1 Champions League win over Stuttgart this week.
The Galacticos are set for an electrifying season, with fans excited by the dynamic attacking unit forged by Vinicius Jr, alongside brand new signing Kylian Mbappe and the wily Rodrygo led by the pragmatic Carlo Ancelotti. The Spanish giants, armed with a squad brimming with talent, are tipped to win a plethora of titles this season.
Despite a slight delay in his goalscoring run, Mbappe has now exploded into form with a total of five goals in all competitions, with Vinicius also adding two to his tally. Real Madrid sit comfortably third in La Liga after three wins and two draws, in the shadow of Barcelona who have enjoyed a flawless start to the season with five wins from five.
The trio's success is underlined by their simultaneous Ballon d'Or nominations, leading Ancelotti to admit that “jealousy” could become a problem for team-mate Rodrygo. But he maintains: “Of course, if it happens.” [jealousy]I will detect it, but for now I don't think so. There is a very good and healthy atmosphere in the locker room.”
Describing Rodrygo's internal motivation, the manager revealed: “For him, it's a motivation to compare himself to these players. [Vinicius, Mbappe, Bellingham]. For me, he is as important as the others. He does not tell me that he has a problem, he has never told me about it.”
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1951201/real-madrid-action-Bellingham-Kylian-Mbappe-salary