Atlanta United’s payroll falls sharply

Giorgos Giakoumakis has overtaken Thiago Almada and projects to become Atlanta United’s highest-paid player, with a guaranteed remuneration of $2,248,417. Almada projects to receive $2,232,000 in guaranteed compensation.

Atlanta United pays the majority of the salaries of loan players Franco Ibarra and Santiago Sosa, and at least half of Derrick Etienne’s salary. He was traded to Toronto earlier this season.

The team’s payroll has declined for several reasons, including the fact that several players signed during last year’s summer window have projected salaries this season that more closely resemble what they will actually earn. Last year’s guaranteed compensation estimates released in October for players Saba Lobjanidze and Jamal Thiare were derived from figures prorated over a calendar year.

The MLSPA publishes salary information twice a year.

Guaranteed average annual compensation applies to players under contract as of April 25. It includes the player’s base salary as well as all signing bonuses and annualized guarantees over the life 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 who received a signing bonus of $100,000, has compensation guaranteed annual average 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 guaranteed average annual remuneration figure also includes any marketing bonuses and any agent fees, both annualized over the duration of the contract. This figure does not include performance bonuses as there is no guarantee that the player will achieve these bonuses. These figures include compensation from each player’s MLS contract. They do not include any compensation from contracts with individual teams or their affiliates.

Player/Base salary/Guaranteed compensation/Increase (or decrease) from September 23/Guaranteed contract expiration year/Option years

Giorgios Giakoumakis/1,664,600/2,248,417/87,964/2025/2026

Thiago Almada/1,550,000/2,232,000/(100,000)/2026/None

Stian Gregersen/1,000,000/1,120,000/NA/2027/2028

Saba Lobjanidze/900,000/998,750/(1,152,000)/2026/None

Luis Abram/732 275/871 888/175 911/2025/2026

Bartosz Slisz/630,000/830,000/NA/2028/None

Santiago Sosa/685,000/778,100/85,0000/2024/2025

Brooks Lennon/740,000/740,000/40,000/2025/2026

Derrick Etienne Jr./710 062/710 062/33 818/2025/2027^

Franco Ibarra/600,000/660,000/40,000//2024/2025*

Brad Guzan/600,000/612,500/0/2024/2025

Xandé Silva/560,000/604 250/79,750/2025/2026

Jamal Thiare/500,000/595,000/(477,679)/2024/2025

Tristan Muyumba/525,000/566,600/75,000/2026/2027

Ronald Hernández/450,000/450,000/75,000/2024/2025

Derrick Williams/400,000/447,500/NA/2025/2026

Edwin Mosquera/400,000/437,000/25,000/2026/None

Josh Cohen/265,000/303,500/NA/2025/2026

Dax McCarty/225,000/256,200/NA/2024/2025

Tyler Wolff/150,000/154,500/30,000/2024/2025

Caleb Wiley/150,000/151,600/64,556/2025/2026

Daniel Rios/$89,716/126,383/NA/2024/None

Quentin Westberg/89,716/109,716/(90,284)/2024/None

Efrain Morales/89 716/97 735/12 291/2024/2026

Erik Centeno/89 716/96 492/17 356/2024/2026

Aiden McFadden/89 716/89 716/4 272/2024*/None

Noah Cobb/89 716/89 716/22 356/2026/2027

Nic Firmino/71 401/71 401/NA/2024/2026

Luke Brennan/71 401/71 401/NA/2027/2028

Ajani Fortune/71 401/71 401/4 041/2024/2026

Adyn Torres/71 401.71 401/NA/2027/2028

*On loan and not in the Atlanta United first team in May

^ Sold with Atlanta United team paying part of salary

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