Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos has demanded a contract extension with a hefty pay rise at the club, pleas which Los Blancos are currently unwilling to meet.
The stalwart centre-half scored 11 times as he led Real to their 34th La Liga title, wrapped up with a 2-1 victory over Villarreal on the penultimate matchday of the season, and has continued to impress at the heart of an imperious defence alongside Raphael Varane.
However, the club are in a tricky spot regarding the 34-year-old’s future, and Spanish news outlet SPORT understand Ramos is asking for a significant pay rise in what could be his last professional contract, with his current deal expiring in 2021.
Ramos currently earns a healthy €12.5m salary following his most recent contract extension in 2015 – with the Spaniard using interest from Manchester United as leverage to garner a more lucrative deal.
However, the Real skipper is keen on a financial improvement on his current deal, despite his age, and is believed to be demanding a salary in the region of €17m.
It’s a demand which the club are currently unwilling to match amid the financial strains brought about by COVID-19. It’s understood that significantly boosting Ramos’ deal at the club isn’t even being considered and instead, Real were looking to reduce their captain’s salary to €10m.
So, with both parties currently way apart in their valuations regarding a new deal, it doesn’t seem out of the picture for Ramos to walk away from the Bernabeu when his contract expires in 2021.
Madrid-based outlet Central Defense understand teams in the Chinese Super League are willing to offer Ramos an enormous contract if he was to join on a free transfer, with salaries around the €22m mark being discussed.
A number of clubs in the pacific are desperate to add such an icon to their ranks and his potential salary would make him the second-highest paid Spanish footballer in the world after Andres Iniesta, who currently earns €25m-a-year at Vissel Kobe in Japan.
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