There have already been three trades this offseason that are in the top 10 all-time in most expensive trades, which is interesting in a number of ways. This shows that clubs have recognized the success of others when shopping in MLS, so prices are rising. And with expansion clubs receiving more allowance money when they enter the league, there is more money flowing around. MLS exports have also increased, with the value growing exponentially. When clubs transfer a player out of the league, they can convert part of the fee into MAG.

The major trades are not entirely straightforward to follow, it should be noted. Many trades have undefined incentives, so there is an element of educated guesswork. There are also other perks in trades like players, draft picks, international roster spots and more. To keep it simple, we stick with guaranteed allowance money.

However, we know that some incentives have been affected. Ike Opara’s trade to Minnesota United FC from Sporting Kansas City was initially for $900,000 TAM, but the $100,000 in incentives was tied to Minnesota making the playoffs, bringing the final amount to $1 million. Other incentives can be assumed, such as Djordje Mihailovic’s $200,000 bonuses after a stellar first season with CF Montreal.

It’s tricky with other assets. For example, in the Mark-Anthony Kaye trade this summer, LAFC also secured a spot on the international roster (for around $150,000 GAM at the time), but Colorado also added LAFC’s first-round SuperDraft selection. , which surprisingly fell to No. 10. They traded that pick to Nashville for $125,000 GAM (plus another $50,000 in GAM incentives), hence the trickiness here. Additionally, there is the case of whether or not GAM and TAM are an equal dollar-for-dollar conversion, as GAM is the more flexible of the two allocation funds, which likely makes it more valuable.