Gerard Pique demanded a higher salary than Sergio Ramos in 2018 – report

After the breaking revelations about Lionel Messi last night, El Mundo have also revealed several breaking news about Gerard Pique’s contract(s).

The centre-back extended his contract in 2018 on a five-year deal, which would see him earn a staggering €142 million over the course of the deal.

This deal helped him pocket a fixed salary of €12 million net each year, which could rise up to €15 million including add-ons, making him the highest-paid centre-back in the world.

At that time, none other than Sergio Ramos was the highest paid defender in the world, and Pique wanted his salary to exceed his compatriot’s. For three years, the Real Madrid captain was on top of that particular chart before Pique’s extension topped him.

It has also been reported in the past that during his negotiations with Real Madrid in 2020, Ramos wanted his salary to at least match, if not exceed Pique’s, along with a two-year deal. That did not go down well with the Los Blancos management, who only offered him a one-year renewal.

Evidently a lucrative deal, Pique’s contract included a similar structure to that of Messi’s, as well as a loyalty bonus.

Further, Pique signed another extension in 2020, during Bartomeu’s last year as president. He deferred his salary like most other players, but his new contract included compensation through the years for the same.

The report states that the 35-year-old earned €18 million gross in 2020/21, €27.7 million in 2021/22, and is currently (2022/23) on €29.5 million. These wages are set to take another hike ahead of next season when he would earn as much as €40.8 million.

It must be noted that following the leaked report around Messi yesternight, Barcelona have officially come out to deny these allegations. In the past, however, El Mundo have been accurate about their ‘leaks’, the biggest one being about Messi’s salary.