Atlanta United 2025 salaries unveiled: Key takeaways

If you thought the results this season were disappointing, consider the fact that it's the third-most expensive roster in MLS.

The MLS Players Association released it’s bi-annual Salary Guide, offering the public an updated list of salaries for very player in the league. In reviewing the list, we can glean a better understanding of how Atlanta United’s Salary Budget is situated and — given Atlanta’s state of play — better determine who needs to walk the plank consider their options elsewhere next season.

Let’s cut to the chase and list off the most obvious key takeaways as we begin to digest Atlanta’s situation:

• Atlanta has the third-most expensive roster in MLS, and that’s thanks to Lionel Messi earning more in salary alone than all but three MLS rosters at $20.4 million. Toronto FC is the second-priciest roster due to Lorenzo Insigne earning a number close to Messi (!) at $15.4 million.

• Behind those two players, Atlanta’s Miguel Almiron is the league’s next-highest earner at $7.8 million. Chucky Lozano is right behind him at $7.6 million, then a drop-off to Emil Forsberg at $6 million.

• Atlanta’s two other Designated Players, Alexey Miranchuk and Latte Lath, each earn similarly at roughly $3.5 million in base compensation, with Mirnachuk escalating to $4.8 million guaranteed and Latte Lath at just over $4 million guaranteed. Between all three of these DP’s the salary figures only matter as it relates to their transfer market value (highly paid, underperforming players having less value than the opposite). Otherwise, we already knew that these three were “non-buydownable” given their considerable transfer fees. They each count against the Salary Budget at the maximum of $743,750.

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Next, lets look at the players and associated salaries who’s contracts are set to expire after this season:

• Some notes on this: As it relates to their actual Budget charges, Atlanta is reported to only be paying Mateusz Klich roughly $300k, with his previous club D.C. United paying the vast majority of his wages — enough to continue to list him as one of their own Designated Players.

• As a U22 initiave player, Edwin Mosquera only counts toward the cap at $200k.

• Outside of that, given these numbers, it’s hard to see many of the above listed coming back unless they agree to a "re-calibration” as President Garth Lagerwey has previously referred to it. Only Jamal Thiare stands out as a player who seems remotely worth the current cost. Lower-earners like Ronald Hernandez and Josh Cohen stand the chance to return on some cheaper deals. Given the team’s performance, almost none of these players seem well-situated to negotiate a pay increase on their next deals if they’re with Atlanta.

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  Now lets look at the remaining non-Designated Players who count against the Salary Budget (meaning they’re also not Homegrown Players or league minimum vets).

  

  Outside of Amador, who remains an amazing value especially considering theres no transfer fee attached to his salary with regards to his total Budget Charge, this rounds out the “TAM players.” And remember, ech of these players are more likely to remain with the club beyond this year given their contracts don’t expire or have an opt-out, though that doesn’t guarantee that’ll be the case.

• Compared to 2024: Saba’s salary is unchanged. Gregersen’s has reduced by $200k from $1,120,000 in 2024, more than offsetting the meager $25k increase for Muyumba and $40k increase for Slisz. Amador is also earning $25k more than last season. But ultimately this group of players is slightly cheaper than in 2024.

• Outside of all the players listed or reference, no one affects the Salary Budget. The Homegrowns — Noah Cobb, Jay Fortune, Efrain Morales, Luke Brennan, Matt Edwards, Ashton Gordon, Will Reilly, Jayden Hibbert, Adyn Torres — they’re all free and earning between $112-$80k.

• Cayman Togashi is on a league minimum deal that doesn’t count against the Budget.