5 highest paid defenders in the world right now

#1 Sergio Ramos: £200,000 a week; Real Madrid

An inspirational leader for Real Madrid and Spain

Arguably the best defender in the world right now, Sergio Ramos has been an ever-present figure at the heart of Real Madrid’s defence for over a decade. The World Cup winner with Spain has played 544 times for the Galacticos. He led them to 4 La Liga and 3 Champions League titles during his 12 years stay at the club.

Ramos is the captain of Real Madrid and Spain national team and his leadership qualities make him an invaluable player in the squad. He is an aggressive tackler and possesses a lot of speed. The centre-back is deadly with his head and has scored 69 goals for Real Madrid.

Though he has been criticized for his discipline, he is certainly one of the all-time best defenders in world football and an inspirational player for Zinedine Zidane's side. The 31-year-old currently earns £200,000 a week at the Santiago Bernabeu and deserves every penny of his salary.

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Honourable Mention: Gerard Pique (Barcelona)

He could very well be in the top five after his recent contract extension. Just a day ago, the Spanish defender has agreed to a contract extension at Camp Nou until 2022. Barcelona did not disclose his salary details, but the Spaniard could definitely be amongst the top earners at the club. Gerard Pique's release clause is set at a whopping £440 million.