Thomas Müller is on the verge of a move to the MLS. A report has now surfaced suggesting that the 35-year-old will initially play in North America for what is, at least relatively speaking, a laughably small sum. Didn’t Bayern have even a few euros to spare for their club icon?
According to reports, negotiations over a Müller contract extension at the German record champion also failed due to differing salary expectations. In Munich, the 2014 World Cup winner reportedly earned up to 20 million euros a year. According to ‘Bild’, Max Eberl and others made it clear that they had to significantly cut back on salaries.
But would less than 2 million per year have been too much for Müller? This – by his standards – modest amount is what the forward is expected to earn in the future.
The reason for this is the MLS rulebook. According to information from ‘givemesport’, Müller will not be a “designated player” on the other side of the pond. Therefore, his salary must adhere to a league-imposed cap.
The maximum currently stands at the equivalent of 642,176.06 euros per year. Even with a special rule for selected players that allows for an individual financial boost (“Targeted Allocation Money”), Müller can earn up to a maximum of 1,508,242.61 euros.
This can only be increased in 2026 – provided Müller is then selected as one of his team’s three “designated players”. Until then, the financial belt will have to be tightened for the Bavarian.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.
📸 ALEXANDRA BEIER – AFP or licensors
