NEW YORK — Hoping to spark
interest by adding high-priced stars, Major League Soccer will allow
each team to sign at least two "designated players" whose salaries can
significantly exceed the salary budget.
Barcelona's Thierry Henry and Real
Madrid's Raul Gonzalez, who both have seen dwindling playing time this
season, are among the players MLS is thought to be interested in adding
during the summer transfer window, possibly for the New York Red Bulls.
"In some markets, star power is
critical in terms of driving attendance," Todd Durbin, the league's
executive vice president of player relations, said Thursday.
While MLS wants to add stars, in the
past it has waited until a player's contract has expired rather than pay
a transfer fee for a DP.
The league first allowed each team one
budget exception in November 2006, commonly referred to as the Beckham
Rule, and said a team could trade for a second slot.
Under the change, each team is allowed
two DPS and may purchase a third slot from the league for $250,000. The
slots no longer may be traded.
A designated player will count for
$335,000 against each team's budget, about 13 percent, down from
$415,000, or 18 percent. The league last week increased each team's
player salary budget from $2,315,000 to $2.55 million.
The budget line for a DP will be cut
to $167,500 if he joins midseason.
MLS began the season with five
designated players: Los Angeles' David Beckham, New York's Juan Pablo
Angel, Seattle's Freddie Ljungberg, Houston's Luis Angel Landin and
Toronto's Julian de Guzman. In addition, Landon Donovan of the Galaxy
was made a DP under Thursday's rule change.
Beckham's $32.5 million, five-year
contract is vastly higher than all others in the league.
"The more designated players we have,
the greater the quality of the league we're going to have," Durbin
said.
Past DPs included Dallas' Denilson,
D.C. United's Luciano Emilio and Marcelo Gallardo, Chicago's Cuauhtemoc
Blanco, Kansas City's Claudio Lopez, New York's Claudio Reyna and
Columbus' Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who remains with the Crew but no
longer is a DP.
"I know Freddie would love to have
other players potentially from Europe out there with him," Sounders
general manager Adrian Hanauer said. "I think all of our guys would love
the opportunity to continue to play with better and better teammates."