Gareth Bale's Major League Soccer salary has been revealed, and it's not as big as you would expect.
The Wales captain earned a stunning amount at his previous club Real Madrid, where he was reportedly raking in an astonishing €600,000 a week during his time in Spain.
His contract with the Spanish giants came to an end over the summer, and after a much-publicised transfer saga which involved Cardiff City, Bale chose Los Angeles FC, who play in the MLS (Major League Soccer), as his next destination to continue his career.
Read more: How much Gareth Bale earned during his nine years with Real Madrid
This week, MLS revealed its 2022 player salaries guide and the former Spurs man's earning are perhaps much lower than what people would expect. The guide contains players’ current annualised base salary and their annualised average guaranteed compensation, but doesn't include performance bonuses as there is no guarantee players will hit those bonuses.
The 33-year-old Cardiff native is earning a base salary of $1,600,000 (£1,420,640), which rises to $2,386,667 (£2,119,121) including guaranteed bonuses including contract option years, which is rather modest in comparison with his earnings with Los Blancos.
In fact, there are 22 players in the league who earn more than Bale, with former Liverpool and Manchester United stars Xherdan Shaqiri and Javier Hernandez way above him in the rankings. Toronto FC's Lorenzo Insigne is the top earner, who brings home $14,000,000 (£12,369,630) - almost double what the second-placed player, Shaqiri, gets.
Bale signed a 12-month contract in Los Angeles, with an option to extend by another year.
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
READ MORE:
