Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal does twice as much work as David Alaba, for less than half of the pay packet.
For the most part, Real Madrid does an incredible job of paying their players fairly. Their wage bill is a fair amount higher than most clubs in Europe, but it comes as part of hosting some of the best talent in the world.
Nevertheless, due to paying each player a different amount, there is a natural sense of injustice. The hierarchical structure is easy to break down and say "well, this player deserves more than this player."
However, one large injustice is staring Real Madrid right in the face.
Dani Carvajal earns a low wage compared to Real Madrid peers
Dani Carvajal is one of the most influential Real Madrid players ever. The full-back is still at the height of his game, despite being in the latter stages of his career.
You'd be hard-pressed to find a Real Madrid fan who doesn't like Carvajal. That's an understatement - If you don't adore Carvajal, you aren't a Real Madrid fan.
So, the fact that Dani Carvajal is Real Madrid's 13th highest-paid player seems like a sheer undervaluation of his contribution. If Real put together a starting lineup of only their 11th highest-paid players, Carvajal wouldn't even make the team, which is crazy.
Of course, Carvajal does earn a hefty amount at Real Madrid - €200,385 per week (€10,420,000 yearly), to be exact. So, he can't turn up his nose at this amount, and he probably won't, but from a fan perspective, he should be earning more.
David Alaba makes Dani Carvajal look severely underpaid
For added context, Carvajal earns less than half the amount that David Alaba earns (€432,692 per week) at Real Madrid. This doesn't seem fair, considering the difference in output of the two players.
Through no fault of his own, David Alaba is on the treatment table more often than on the pitch. He shouldn't be punished for this and Real Madrid must absolutely support his rehabilitation. Still, it feels like a flaw in the system that Alaba is paid over twice the amount for substantially less work.
So, how does Real Madrid fix this? Do they pay Dani Carvajal over twice the amount to better reflect his place in the salary pecking order?
No, that would be nonsensical and would put Real Madrid in a dangerous position of negotiating future salaries, a problem Man United has right now. Thankfully, for everyone, I'm not an economist.
So, there is no solution. This is merely an observation.