Trio of Fire players among MLS players paid with TAM resources

Major League Soccer released a list of the players on whom Targeted Allocation Money has been used in 2017, a list that includes three Chicago Fire players: defender Johan Kappelhof, forward Michael de Leeuw and midfielder Dax McCarty. 

Targeted Allocation Money may be used in five ways:

• Clubs may use the funds to sign a new player provided his salary and acquisition costs are more than the maximum salary budget.
• Clubs may re-sign an existing player provided he is earning more than the maximum salary budget.
• Clubs may use a portion of or all of the available Targeted Allocation Money to convert a Designated Player to a non-Designated Player by buying down his Salary Budget Charge at or below the maximum salary budget charge. If Targeted Allocation Money is used to free up a Designated Player slot, the club must simultaneously sign a new Designated Player at an investment equal to or greater than the player he is replacing.
  • A club retains the flexibility to convert a player bought down with Targeted Allocation Money into a Designated Player if that club has a free Designated Player slot.
• Clubs may use up to $200,000 of currently approved Targeted Allocation Money (amounts through 2017) to sign new Homegrown Players to their first MLS contract. It cannot be used on Homegrown Players previously signed to MLS.

Clubs may trade their Targeted Allocation Money to another club. (2017 MLS Roster Rules & Regulations)

Targeted Allocation Money has been used on the following players in 2017: 

As of March 8, 2017

*Player will be added to MLS roster upon the opening of the Secondary Transfer Window (July 10-Aug. 9)