The 11 Highest-Paid La Liga Players In 2025
- Think Football Ideas
- Jul 1
- 5 min read
La Liga might not throw cash around like the Premier League or Saudi Pro League, but don’t be fooled, Spain’s top flight still dishes out some eye-watering salaries.
Whether it’s Barcelona’s financial gymnastics or Real Madrid’s irresistible pull, top players continue to flood into Spain, and they're very well compensated for their troubles. The 2025 payroll leaderboard showcases a fascinating blend of youth, pedigree, and strategic spending.
Below Are The 11 Highest-Paid La Liga Players In 2025
11. Trent Alexander-Arnold – Real Madrid – £240,000 Per Week
A new chapter. A colossal shift. And a £10m acceleration fee to make it happen. Trent Alexander-Arnold swapped Liverpool red for Madrid white in June 2025, fresh off lifting his second Premier League title under Arne Slot.
Originally set to join on a free, Real Madrid dropped a surprise £10 million payment to fast-track the deal as Los Blancos were keen to get the England star in before the summer Club World Cup.
It’s a signing that screams ambition. At 26, Trent arrives as a creative weapon and set-piece specialist, bringing his Anfield pedigree to the Bernabéu with a cool £240k/week salary. That right flank in Madrid just got a whole lot spicier.
10. Thibaut Courtois – Real Madrid – £243,437 Per Week
After suffering a harrowing ACL injury in 2023, many wondered whether Thibaut Courtois would ever return to his elite best. Fast forward to 2025, and he’s back between the sticks as the main man, proving once again why he’s one of the finest goalkeepers in the world.
Still earning a hefty £243k per week, Courtois remains a linchpin for Los Blancos. The Belgian’s legacy continues to grow, and his paycheque is a clear sign that the club haven’t forgotten his contributions, nor have they stopped valuing him.
=8. Lamine Yamal – Barcelona – £270,540 Per Week
Just turned 18, and already living in the clouds. Lamine Yamal is Barcelona’s shimmering new hope, dazzling fans, pundits, and defenders alike with his electric dribbling and fearless play.
After a breakout 2024/25 season that included a late push for the Ballon d’Or shortlist, Barça didn’t waste time: they handed the teenager a new contract, reportedly taking him past the quarter-million mark in weekly wages. At £270k/week, Yamal is being paid like a superstar. And to be fair, he’s already playing like one.
=8. Federico Valverde – Real Madrid – £270,540 Per Week
Talk about engine room royalty. Federico Valverde is every manager’s dream: energetic, adaptable, and quietly elite.
Whether anchoring the midfield or covering as an auxiliary right-back or winger, he does it all with humility and heart. Madrid reward his loyalty and versatility with a salary of £270,540 per week, equal to Yamal’s but with years more grind behind it.
Not the flashiest in this list, but certainly among the most respected. Valverde is a coach’s player with a CEO’s wage.
7. Frenkie De Jong – Barcelona – £308,354 Per Week
Frenkie De Jong has long been linked with a move away from the Camp Nou, and you don’t have to look far to understand why. His staggering £308k weekly wage makes him one of the most expensive players in La Liga, and arguably the most divisive.
The Dutchman has undeniable class, but with Barça scrambling to balance the books, his wage remains a recurring headline. For now, though, he remains a key cog in midfield and a symbol of a club still finding its balance between talent and sustainability.
=4. Jan Oblak – Atletico Madrid – £338,053 Per Week
Jan Oblak is a lone wolf in a sea of Clásico giants. Oblak stands tall as Atletico Madrid’s highest-paid player, pocketing just over £338k/week. The Slovenian has been a rock since 2014, repeatedly flirting with moves abroad but ultimately staying loyal to Diego Simeone’s cause.
At 32, he remains one of the world’s most reliable shot-stoppers. Oblak may not shout for attention, but when it comes to pure quality and consistency, few are more deserving of their paycheck.
=4. Jude Bellingham – Real Madrid – £338,053 Per Week
It didn’t take long for Jude Bellingham to become the face of Real Madrid’s new era. Arriving in 2023, the Englishman was expected to grow into the role. Instead, he exploded onto the scene, finishing the 2023/24 campaign as La Liga’s top scorer and claiming the Player of the Season award.
Now earning a cool £338k/week, Bellingham’s star continues to rise, even with Mbappé in town. At just 21, he’s already a generational talent, with the earnings to match. If you’ve followed his rise, it’s crazy to think that not long ago, Jude Bellingham was bossing midfields in the EFL Championship.
=4. Vinicius Jr – Real Madrid – £338,053 Per Week
Two Champions League final goals. Unplayable in open space. And still just 24. Vinicius Jr is Real Madrid’s electric showman, terrorising defences with raw pace and refined decision-making. He’s on the same salary as Bellingham and Oblak, but with a strong case to be Madrid’s most decisive attacker.
There are whispers that a new contract might bump him even higher, and let’s be honest, he’s earned it. At £338k/week, Vinicius is already among La Liga’s elite earners, but he might just be underpaid for what he brings to the table.
3. David Alaba – Real Madrid – £365,156 Per Week
David Alaba arrived at the Bernabéu in 2021 on a free transfer from Bayern Munich, and that freedom gave him leverage to command a whopping wage. He’s now earning £365k/week, one of the highest in La Liga.
An ACL injury, as well as damage to the meniscus, in December 2023, sadly sidelined him for over a year, also denying him a place at Euro 2024. But when fit, Alaba brings leadership, versatility, and the kind of experience that money (well, this much money) buys.
2. Kylian Mbappé – Real Madrid – £507,161 Per Week
When it happened - Mbappé to Madrid, yes, the money followed. After years of anticipation, the French superstar signed for Los Blancos in 2024.
While many assumed he’d be the league’s top earner, he narrowly comes second, though £507k/week is hardly modest. His debut season started slowly, but by the end of the 2024/25 campaign, he was firing on all cylinders, enough to clinch the European Golden Shoe.
While Real Madrid didn’t lift La Liga, Mbappé still delivered in moments that mattered. Worth every penny? So far, it's trending that way.
1. Robert Lewandowski – Barcelona – £540,918 Per Week
Surprised? Maybe. Deserved? Debatable. Robert Lewandowski still tops La Liga’s wage list in 2025, pocketing a staggering £540,918 per week. When Barcelona prised him away from Bayern Munich in 2022, they were crying out for goals, and he delivered. Fast.
Now 36, he’s not the unstoppable force he once was, but he hasn’t exactly slowed to a crawl either. In fact, since landing in Spain, Lewandowski has helped Barcelona lift two La Liga titles, the Copa del Rey, and two Supercopa de España titles. Not bad for a so-called “ageing striker.”
Still, that mammoth salary has raised eyebrows. Is it legacy money? A reward for past brilliance? Or just more evidence of Barça’s occasionally chaotic wage structure? Whatever the case, the numbers are real, and for now, Lewandowski remains the highest-paid player in Spain.
Comments