How Kylian Mbappe earned Jude Bellingham a €5m wage increase at Real Madrid – with Blancos moving to remove ‘friction’ between Galacticos

The Blancos moved to add another ‘Galactico’ to their ranks over the summer, with World Cup winner Mbappe lured away from Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent. He immediately became the top-earning player at Santiago Bernabeu.

The France international is said to be pulling in €15m (£13m/$17m) a year in Madrid. That salary dwarfed what established stars Bellingham and Vinicius were earning. According to OK Diario, Real moved quickly to remove the threat of any “friction” in their camp.

Bellingham and Vinicius, who helped the Blancos to La Liga and Champions League titles last season while also putting themselves in contention for Ballon d’Or honours, have been moved in line with Mbappe on Real’s wage scale.

Nobody has ever earned more for the Liga giants, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Eden Hazard reportedly on the same pay packet during their respective spells at the Bernabeu. There have been early signs of promise from Bellingham, Vinicius and Mbappe as they resolve any issues off the field and begin to thrive on it.