Each year, the wages of every MLS player are revealed, and fans are able to get a better sense of the resources being allocated to international signings. While there are numerous examples of successful additions well worth their salaries, the 2023 list again shows how some veteran players still come to the U.S. with little left to offer.
The complex wage system in the league includes strict salary brackets for non-designated players, with the majority of a roster assembled from a separate monetary pool. Clubs don't have many chances to get it right when it comes to splurging in the transfer market; there are no Manchester City or Chelsea-like clubs who completely blow the rest of the division out of the water with their entire squads as is the case in the Premier League.
Below, GOAL runs through the highest-paid players in MLS for 2023, sorted by guaranteed compensation, including the disappointing Xherdan Shaqiri and Douglas Costa...
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