Tuesday’s release by the MLS Players’ Association of the 2023 salary list has raised some questions about Toronto FC. TFC’s Italian star Lorenzo Insigne, who led Major League Soccer with a $14 million salary last season, is number one.
Tuesday’s release by the MLS Players’ Association of the 2023 salary list has raised some questions about Toronto FC.
Italian TFC star Lorenzo Insigne, who led Major League Soccer with a $14 million salary last season, is No. 2 this year with $7.5 million (behind Chicago’s Xherdan Shaqiri with 8.15 millions of dollars). And Toronto captain Michael Bradley, who made $1.5 million last season, makes $614,826 this year.
TFC did not immediately offer a response on the change in Insigne’s paycheck. But Bradley volunteered to take the pay cut.
Jason Hernandez, Toronto’s assistant general manager and Bradley’s former teammate with TFC, said the 35-year-old skipper approached the club during the off-season, offering to restructure his contract and take less money to give the team more resources to strengthen the workforce. .
“It gave us the opportunity to go after not just one MLS free agent, but multiple (free agents),” Hernandez said.
“That’s Michael for you,” he added.
TFC then signed goalkeeper Sean Johnson ($683,013) and defenders Matt Hedges ($908,859), Sigurd Rosted ($768,636) and Raoul Petretta ($856,625).
“All these guys that are involved, call it TAM (targeted allocation money) kind of player bandwidth, which we just couldn’t have done if Michael had been on the number he was the year last one,” Hernandez said.
Targeted Allocation is an MLS salary cap mechanism that was established to attract top players to the league without using a designated player spot (clubs are allowed three PDs). While there is no limit to what DPs can receive (of which only $651,250 counts towards the salary budget), the maximum salary this season under TAM rules is $1,652,250 million (with a minimum of $651,250).
Attacking midfielder Ryan Gauld tops the Vancouver Whitecaps salary list with $2.5 million, while Victor Wanyama tops the CF Montreal salary scale with $1.8 million.
MLSPA salary figures are as of April 30.
Fellow Italian Federico Bernardeschi is second on TFC’s payroll with $6,295,381 (up from $6,256,322 last season). Midfielder Jonathan Osorio is third with $1.4 million, followed by compatriot Richie Laryea with $1.277 million.
Bernardeschi’s salary ranks fourth in the league, behind Los Angeles Galaxy’s Javier (Chicharito) Hernandez, at $7.44 million.
At the other end of the salary scale, eight TFC players make less than $100,000.
Bradley moved from Designated Player to TAM Player when he signed his current contract in December 2019, which covers three years plus a $1.5 million per season option.
At the time, Bradley said money was not a driving force at this point in his career.
“Playing here, winning here, that means more,” he said in 2019.
Bradley’s salary of $1.5 million last season was the fourth highest on the team behind Insigne, Bernardeschi and now Italian Domenico Cristico ($1.51 million).
Bradley’s 2022 salary ranked 59th in the league.
“Think about what he means to us, what he’s done for us,” Hernandez said. “I think it would be difficult to find a long list of players as decorated as him, especially at this place, and voluntarily say ‘I’m willing to take a pay cut if it gives the club the best chance’.” to add pieces and succeed. I haven’t experienced that much in my time.”
Under the restructured deal, Bradley has the option to return next season at the same salary as this year, Hernandez said. His contract for 2019 would have expired at the end of this season.
The veteran midfielder earned a total of $39 million on his initial six-year contract with Toronto which expired after the 2019 season. Bradley ranked second behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic in MLS earnings in 2019.
Toronto had planned to announce Bradley’s contract restructuring on the occasion of his 300th appearance for the club in all competitions. If he had been healthy, it would have been April 22 in Philadelphia.
But Bradley hasn’t seen action since an April 8 game in Nashville. He had played every minute this season before his injury, which ended a run of 42 consecutive league starts.
Bradley is expected to miss the next eight to 10 weeks after undergoing hamstring surgery in England this weekend. The procedure will be performed by Dr. Ernest Schilders, considered a world expert on adductor and groin problems in athletes.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2023.
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
