Real Madrid chiefs 'take drastic action' to avoid Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe feud

Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham has been awarded a salary boost of approximately £4million annually, equating him with the club’s highest-paid star, newcomer Kylian Mbappe.

The England midfielder has been a revelation for Madrid over the past year, netting 23 goals across all competitions and playing a pivotal role in the team’s La Liga and Champions League victories under Carlo Ancelotti.

Bellingham, who was signed from Borussia Dortmund last summer for a fee of around £88.5m when he was considered one of the world’s most promising young talents, has now had his salary increased by Madrid, according to The Sun. This follows a similar move for Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr.

Both players, previously earning around £8.4m per annum, now receive the same £12.5m annual salary as Mbappe, amid fears of potential discord among the trio if they were not on equal pay.

The report suggests that the three are earning the same amount as former high earners Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Eden Hazard.

Despite suffering a muscle injury in training last month, Bellingham has already made three appearances in all competitions for Madrid this season, returning quicker than anticipated to start in their 3-1 Champions League victory over Stuttgart this week.

The Galacticos are primed for an electrifying season, with fans all abuzz about the dynamic attack unit forged by Vinicius Jr, alongside brand-new recruit Kylian Mbappe and the crafty Rodrygo captained under the pragmatic Carlo Ancelotti. The Spanish giants, armed with a roster brimming with talent, are being tipped to sweep a plethora of titles this campaign.

Despite a slight delay in his scoring streak, Mbappe has now exploded into form with a tally of five goals across competitions, with Vinicius adding a couple to his account as well. Real Madrid sit comfortably in third in La Liga off the back of three victories and a pair of draws, shadowing Barcelona who have had a flawless start with five wins out of five.

The trio’s success is underscored by their simultaneous Ballon d’Or nominations, leading to Ancelotti conceding that “jealousy” might become an issue for teammate Rodrygo. But he maintains, “Of course, if it happens [jealousy], I’ll detect it, but right now I don’t think so. There’s a very good and healthy atmosphere in the dressing room.”

Describing Rodrygo’s internal drive, the manager revealed, “For him, it is a motivation to compare himself with these players [Vinicius, Mbappe, Bellingham]. For me, he is as important as the others. He doesn’t tell me that he has a problem, he has never talked to me about this.”