NEWS: Xande Silva traded to St. Louis City SC

Deadline day taketh.

Atlanta United made one move to their squad ahead of the primary transfer window shutting on Wednesday. The club announced that Xande Silva has been traded to St. Louis SC in exchange for up to $250,000 in General Allocation Money.

From Atlanta United’s official press release regarding the financials and a rare player tag we know very little about:

Atlanta will receive a guaranteed $100,000 in 2025 GAM, and up to $150,000 in 2026 GAM based on incentives. As part of the deal, Atlanta will retain Silva’s Special Discovery tag, while St. Louis will retain Silva’s full 2025 salary budget charge.

From MLSSoccer.com on what a Special Discovery player is:

In general, the total amount of the acquisition cost of a player is charged against the Salary Budget in the year in which it is paid. For one player on a club's roster (a "Special Discovery Player"), a club can amortize the total amount of acquisition costs (up to $500,000) over the term of the player's contract, including Option years, or over the term of the first and second contract, so long as the second contract is signed prior to the expiration of the first. A club may choose to amortize the acquisition costs evenly or in unequal installments. If the club chooses unequal installments, no less than 10-percent of the amortized acquisition cost may be captured in any given League year of the player’s contract.

If a Special Discovery Player leaves MLS prior to the expiration of the term of his contract, any remaining unamortized acquisition costs would be charged immediately to a Club Salary Budget. If a transfer fee is received for the player, any unamortized acquisition costs, including the acquisition cost charged to the Club Salary Budget during the MLS season such transfer occurs, may be recouped prior to any sharing arrangement with the League. Any guaranteed compensation due to the player will continue to be charged to a Club Salary Budget.

Xande joined Atlanta United in August of 2023 on loan and then joined permanently in the following offseason. He amassed seven goals and four assists during his time with the club.

Despite earning a couple of starts this season, he has seemingly fallen out of favor within the squad as he didn’t make the matchday squad against Philadelphia and wasn’t spotted at training this week.

In the short term, this seems like a move to set up possible additions late in the summer. For now, the team will have to make-do with the current names on the roster.