An examination of Atlanta United’s salaries and how team can add a DP

Thiago Almada is Atlanta United’s highest-paid player, according to salary information released by the Major League Soccer Players Association on Wednesday.

Almada, with 11 goals and 17 assists this season, will receive a guaranteed compensation of $2,332,000.

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The salary figures for some players aren’t exact because they are annualized amounts, meaning what some players are making per day for the remainder of the year is being multiplied per day for an entire year. The totals for players signed during the summer window will be higher than actual.

The database revealed a bit of how President Garth Lagerwey is reshaping the financial approach the team is taking to signings, as well as Vice President Carlos Bocanegra’s approach to signing veterans at reasonable prices.

For example, winger Saba Lobjanidze, signed during the summer window and considered a starter on the right wing, will receive guaranteed compensation of $2,150,750, which is low for a Designated Player. It has been reported, including by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, that the team will be able to use Targeted Allocation Money to buy down Lobjanidze’s salary to open a DP slot next season. It’s important to note that for the purposes of buying down a player from DP to a Targeted Allocation Money level, compensation and transfer fees are amortized over the length of the contract.

Because Lobjanidze was signed during the summer window and salaries are annualized, his cap hit in 2024 will be low enough (less than $1,651,250 is threshold in 2023) that his status as a DP can be bought down using TAM.

Giorgos Giakoumakis, who has a salary ($2,160,453) similar to Lobjanidze’s, can’t be bought down because his transfer fee and salary, when amortized over the length of the contract, exceeds the maximum cap hit that can be bought down with allocation money.

Jamal Thiare, also signed during the same summer window and considered a backup to Giakoumakis (guaranteed compensation of $2,160,453) will receive $1,072,679 in guaranteed compensation this season. His salary also will markedly decrease next season because this season’s is an annualized amount.

Atlanta United’s total spent in guaranteed compensation this season will come to $19,277,184, with an average of $600,850 per player. Atlanta United’s total guaranteed compensation was on track to reach $21,257,396, with a per-player average of $644,136.50, as of May, which is when the MLSPA last made available the salary database. Atlanta United’s total as of September 2022 was $22,431,357, and it was $20,992,272 in April 2022.

Wednesday’s database also was the first time that Miami’s salaries were revealed, ending speculation as to how the Florida franchise was able to sign Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets and stay compliant with the league’s rules.

Messi will receive a guaranteed compensation of $20,446,667, making him the league’s highest-paid player. Sergio Busquets will receive $1,775,000 and Jordi Alba $1,250,000.

The total spent on the rest of players in MLS will be $482,696,520, with a per-player average of $563,447.

The MLSPA releases the salary information twice a year.

The annual average guaranteed compensation is for players under contract as of April 30. It includes a player’s base salary and all signing and guaranteed bonuses annualized over the term of the player’s contract, including option years. For example, a player earning an annual base salary of $500,000, whose contract has an initial term of two years with two one-year options and received a $100,000 signing bonus, has an average annual guaranteed compensation of $525,000 (base salary plus signing bonus ($100,000), with the signing bonus divided by the number of years covered by the contract (four).

The average annual guaranteed compensation figure also includes any marketing bonus and any agent’s fees, both annualized over the length of the contract. The figure does not include performance bonuses because there is no guarantee that the player will hit those bonuses. These figures include compensation from each player’s contract with MLS. They do not include any compensation from any contracts with individual teams or their affiliates.

Player/Base salary/Guaranteed compensation/Increase (or decrease) from May 2023/Year contract runs out (including options)

Thiago Almada/1,650,000/2,332,000/0/2026

Ezequiel Barco/2,200,000/2,200,000/0^/Being sold to River Plate on Jan. 1, 2024

Giorgios Giakoumakis/1,576,636/2,160,453/411,725/2026

Saba Lobjanidze/2,052,000/2,150,750/*/2026

Miles Robinson/1,400,000/1,437,500/0/2023

Jamal Thiare/977,679/1,072,679/*/2024

Matheus Rossetto/650,000/764,375/0/2023

Brooks Lennon/700,000/700,000/0/2026

Luis Abram/556,364/695,977/2026

Santiago Sosa/575,000/693,100/0/2025

Derrick Etienne Jr./676,250/676,250/0/2027

Franco Ibarra/550,000/620,000/0^/2025

Brad Guzan/600,000/612,500/0/2025

Xande Silva/480,000/524,500/*/2023

Tristan Muyumba/450,000/491,600/*/2027

Juan José Purata/400,000/483,500/0/2023

Edwin Mosquera/375,000/412,000/0/2026

Ronald Hernández/375,000/375,000/0/2025

Quentin Westberg/200,000/200,000/0/2023

Miguel Berry/135,000/135,000/0/2023

Tyler Wolff/120,000/124,500/0/2025

Amar Sejdic/85,444/92,111/0/2025

Machop Chol/89,716/89,716/0/2025

Jackson Conway/89,716/89,716/0/2024

Osvaldo Alonso/88,200/88,200/0/2023

Clément Diop/85,444/85,444/0/2024

Aiden McFadden/85,444/85,444/0/2024

Efraín Morales/85,444/85,444/0/2025

Caleb Wiley/85,444/87,044/0/2026

Justin Garces/68,775/68,775/0/2025

Erik Centeno/67,360/79,136/0/2026

Noah Cobb/67,360/67,360/0/2027

Ajani Fortune/67,360/67,360/0/2026

* Not on Atlanta United’s first team in May

^ On loan with that team paying the salary

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Atlanta United’s 2023 MLS schedule

Feb. 25 Atlanta United 2, San Jose Earthquakes 1

March 4 Atlanta United 1, Toronto FC 1

March 11 Atlanta United 3, Charlotte FC 0

March 18 Atlanta United 5, Portland 1

March 25 Columbus 6, Atlanta United 1

April 1 Atlanta United 1, New York Red Bulls 0

April 8 Atlanta United 1, New York City FC 1

April 15 Atlanta United 2, Toronto FC 2

April 23 Atlanta United 2, Chicago 1

April 29 Nashville SC 3, Atlanta United 1

May 6 Inter Miami CF 2, Atlanta United 1