Real Salt Lake is spending more money on player salaries in 2019, putting it right in the middle of MLS

For those who have criticized Real Salt Lake for not investing more financially in its players, this season’s first release of Major League Soccer player salaries might change their minds — slightly.

RSL is paying over $10.5 million in guaranteed salaries so far this season, per figures released this week by the MLS Players Association. That number is up from around this time last season, when Salt Lake was paying just shy of $9 million to its players.

The MLS figures include the salary of Adam Henley, who parted ways with the club last month. His salary, which brings the team’s reported total to almost $11 million, is no longer being paid.

RSL’s highest paid player by far is Albert Rusnák, who is on a designated player contract and making more than $2 million in total compensation. He is making more than twice what he did in 2018. Next in line behind him is Everton Luiz, whose total salary is $1.1 million, and Damir Kreilach, whose number is just under $1.1 million.

The other two designated players on the roster, Sam Johnson and Jefferson Savarino, make $718,750 and $498,696, respectively, in total compensation.

Kyle Beckerman took a pay cut of more than $200,000 compared to last season. His guaranteed number is $325,000 compared to $530,008 in 2018.

In 2019, RSL ranks 12th amount 24 MLS teams in spending, per an analysis done by The Athletic. In other words, squarely in the middle of the pack. Last season, it ranked 14th of 23.

The team also experienced the second-highest percentage of increase in salary compared to last season. RSL’s guaranteed compensation increased by $2.7 million in 2019, which represents a 33.2% increase, per The Athletic. Only the Columbus Crew is spending more money in 2019 compared to 2018.

The highest paid player in the league is Zlatan Ibrahimovic of the L.A. Galaxy. He makes $7.2 million, nearly two-thirds of RSL’s entire payroll.

Last year, the league’s highest paid player was Carlos Vela of the Los Angeles Football Club. Vela, the league’s top goal scorer this season, makes $6.3 million, but is the fourth-highest earner in MLS.

Ibrahimovic’s former teammate, Giovanni Dos Santos, who was released by the Galaxy in March, is raking in $6.5 million in guaranteed money. Although he’s currently without a team, he is still being paid.

The team with the highest overall payroll, however, isn’t the Galaxy. It’s Toronto FC with more than $22 million in total compensation. The next highest is the Galaxy at about $18.5 million. And although Toronto still doles out the most money in the league on salary, it’s spending about $4 million less than last year.

Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore of Toronto FC make about $12.7 million combined.

On the flip side, the Houston Dynamo, which won the U.S. Open Cup last year and qualified for CONCACAF Champions League, are the league’s most frugal team. The club is spending only $7.7 million in total guaranteed salary. Houston is the only team in the league spending less than $8 million on its players.

FC Cincinnati, which is its first year as an MLS franchise, has an $8.8 million payroll.