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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Charlie Wilson

Gareth Bale's MLS wages dwarfed by two Liverpool flops and Javier Hernandez

Gareth Bale's MLS wages have been with the Welshman taking a hugely significant pay cut to join Los Angeles FC earlier this year after leaving Real Madrid.

The 33-year-old left Madrid after spending eight seasons at the club in nine years, with a year on loan at former club Spurs in 2020-21, as he would win three La Liga's and five Champions League's - going down as a club legend after joining on what was a world record transfer fee in 2013.

When he became a free agent this summer, Bale reportedly had a host of options across Europe, with Tottenham Hotspur and Cardiff City both seemingly looking to bring him in. However, he would eventually chose to join LAFC, joining on a 12-month deal with an option a further year.

Bale has made a solid impact so far, scoring two goals and guiding them to a top place finish and upcoming conference semi-final this Friday whilst playing alongside Giorgio Chiellini and Carlos Vela.

And whilst he may be one of the biggest names in the league, he's somewhat surprisingly not close to the top earners in the MLS - earning a fraction of Lorenzo Insigne's Toronto FC wages, whilst earning less than former Liverpool flops Christian Benteke and Xherdan Shaqiri.

Bale will earn a base salary of $1,600,000 this year - which is around $30,000 per week. This, making him the 23rd highest paid player in the league. This, coming after Bale reportedly earned as much as $600,000 per week whilst with Real Madrid during the 2021/22 season.

Bale is the 23rd highest paid player in the MLS ((Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images))

MLSPA: Top 25 MLS player salaries (2022)

1. Lorenzo Insigne (TOR) $14,000,000.00 (base salary), $14,000,000.00 (with guaranteed compensation)

2. Xherdan Shaqiri (CHI) $7,350,000.00, $8,153,000.00

3. Javier Hernandez (LA) $6,000,000.00, $7,443,750.00

4. Federico Bernardeschi (TOR) $3,125,000.00, $6,256,322.00

5. Douglas Costa (LA) $3,000,000.00, $5,800,000.00

6. Gonzalo Higuain (MIA) $5,100,000.00, $5,793,750.00

7. Hector Herrera (HOU) $4,750,000.00, $5,246,875.00

8. Alejandro Pozuelo (MIA) $3,800,000.00, $4,693,000.00

9. Luiz Araujo (ATL) $3,600,000.00, $4,480,333.00

10. Jozy Altidore (NE) $3,706,139.00, $4,264,963.00

11. Christian Benteke (DC) $4,000,000.00, $4,182,778.00

12. Josef Martinez (ATL) $3,750,000.00, $4,141,667.00

13. Lucas Zelarayan (CLB) $3,100,000.00, $3,700,000.00

14. Carles Gil (NE) $3,250,000.00, $3,545,833.00

15. Rodolfo Pizarro (MIA) $3,050,000.00, $3,350,000.00

16. Nicolas Lodeiro (SEA) $2,640,000.00, $3,256,667.00

17. Franco Jara (DAL) $2,540,000.00, $3,227,000.00

18. Raul Ruidiaz (SEA) $2,472,000.00, $3,201,120.00

19. Victor Wanyama (MTL) $2,400,000.00, $3,091,667.00

20. Cucho Hernandez (CLB) $2,600,000.00, $2,886,000.00

21. Carlos Vela (LAFC) $2,400,000.00, $2,737,500.00

22. Gustavo Bou (NE) $2,500,000.00, $2,675,000.00

23. Gareth Bale (LAFC) $1,600,000.00, $2,386,667.00

24. Gaston Gimenez (CHI) $2,060,000.00, $2,360,667.00

25. Walker Zimmerman (NSH) $2,088,235.00, $2,345,214.00

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