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La Liga has been home to some of the finest footballers in the world for several decades. The likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are no strangers to shelling out huge sums to sign elite superstars during transfer windows. Apart from spending enormous figures to sign these players, they also offer them colossal wages.
Before leaving for Paris Saint-Germain this summer, former Barcelona captain Lionel Messi was the highest-paid footballer in La Liga. He reportedly pocketed a massive €71 million annually on his last contract with the Blaugrana. His departure means that a couple of changes have taken place on the list of the league's top earners.
We have a number of top superstars pocketing insane figures in the Spanish top flight at the moment. But who replaces the Argentine at the top of the list and who comes close? Below, we shed light on the subject.
(Note: The figures provided in this article are estimates taken from various sources. The actual wages could vary slightly)
#5 Saul Niguez - Atletico Madrid (£270,354 weekly)
Saul Niguez isn't one of the flashy names associated with La Liga, but the defensive midfielder is earning a fortune at Atletico Madrid. With a reported weekly wage of £270,354, the Spaniard finds himself sitting among the highest-paid footballers in La Liga.
The 26-year-old has a contract with the Rojiblancos until the summer of 2026 but recent reports have suggested that he could be on his way out of Wanda Metropolitano this summer.
The likes of Barcelona, Liverpool and Manchester United have all shown interest in securing the services of the midfielder over the past couple of weeks. It remains to be seen if any of these sides will match his gargatuan wage demands, though.
#4 Jan Oblak - Atletico Madrid (£342,449 weekly)
Jan Oblak, the only goalkeeper on the list, has proved that he deserves to be highly paid with his eye-catching performances for Atletico Madrid between the sticks over the last couple of seasons. He had the highest number of clean sheets in the 2020-21 season The Spanish giants have also shown that they value his contributions by paying him a whopping £342,449 per week.
Thanks to that figure, the Slovenian ranks fourth among La Liga's top earners at the moment. He is also the highest -paid goalkeeper in the Spanish top flight as well as the player with the most lucrative contract at the Wanda Metropolitano.
#3 Antoine Griezmann - Barcelona (£345,000 weekly)
Antoine Griezmann earned a big-money move worth €120 million from Atletico Madrid to Barcelona during the summer of 2019. Upon landing at Camp Nou, the Frenchman was placed on a deal with gargatuan wages as well.
Griezmann pockets a whopping £345,000 per week in the Catalan capital, which is enough to make him the third-highest paid player in La Liga. However, he's yet to step up completely for the club ever since he switched to Camp Nou, although he hasn't been bad either.
Lionel Messi's departure affords the Frenchman an opportunity to finally prove himself. Barcelona need a new hero - Griezmann now has the opportunity to play in his preferred role - and that's a huge coincidence. It remains to be seen if he'll be able to grab it with both hands.
#2 Frenkie de Jong (£354,000 weekly)
Another Barcelona player on the list, Frenkie de Jong is the second-highest paid player in La Liga. The Dutch midfielder takes home a massive £354,000 weekly in the Catalan capital.
The 24-year-old switched to the Spanish top flight in the summer of 2019. Barca snapped him up after watching his spectacular displays for Ajax during the 2018/2019 campaign. He signed a five-year deal with the Catalan giants and is being paid handsomely.
De Jong was one of the top performers at Camp Nou last season. He made 51 appearances across all competitions during the term, with an impressive tally of seven goals and eight assists to his name.
#1 Eden Hazard - Real Madrid (£400,000 weekly)
Eden Hazard finally completed his dream move to Real Madrid in the summer of 2019, leaving Chelsea in a mega transfer worth €115 million and became the most expensive signing in the history of the La Liga giants.
The Belgian also bagged a lucrative contract at the Santiago Bernabeu, pocketing a massive £400,000 weekly. With Lionel Messi now out of the Spanish top flight, Hazard has become the highest paid player in the division. Unfortunately, on a penny-for-penny basis, his transfer has proved to be a disaster so far due to his recurring injuries.
The playmaker has spent more time on the doctor's table than on the pitch since he switched to the Santiago Bernabeu. He has spent a massive 405 days on the sidelines - within just two years - missing 59 games in the process. So far, Hazard has bagged a paltry five goals from 44 appearances for the La Liga giants.
