If you’ve been paying close attention to a lot of the MLS transfer rumors lately, you may have picked up on a common theme: the transfer offers all seem to be right around $2.5 million.
That’s the amount the Philadelphia Union are rumored to be offering for a 19-year-old Brazilian; what LAFC is hoping to pay for a Colombian winger; and seems to be where the Sounders would like their offer for Wesley to land.
This is not just a coincidence. As one astute commenter recently pointed out, there’s a very good reason that MLS teams would prefer not to pay much more than that, even though the rules technically allow them to spend an unlimited amount on transfer fees for U22 Initiative players.