So far we have looked at the top 20 highest paid players in MLS as well as the 5 most underpaid players. But who are the five most overpaid players? Who does not live up to their salary? Source for this data is here.
David Beckham – $6,500,000.00
The $6.5 million for Becks is before his recent “timeshare” deal so I would acticipate that this salry will be cut in half. Even at $3 million a year, Beckham is not worth that amount for his play on the pitch.
But as with anything with Beckham, it is not just what he does on the field, it is also the merchandising and ticket sales. When the Galaxy come to down, teams can charge higher prices because people want to see Beckham play.
Fredrick Ljungberg – $1,314,000.00
Ljungberg makes the list of most overpaid players before he even plays a minute in MLS. The reason what Freddie is on the list is that I think he is injury prone and that he will never be fully fit for the Sounders for an extended period of time. There is a reason why West Ham let him go last year and that is because he is a shell of his former self.
Christian Gomez – $430,000.00
To be a top ten player in terms of salary, you need to consistently be one of the top players in the league. Gomez is not consistent enough for me, to be the 9th highest paid player in the league. He is on the downside of his career, and is not the player he once was. Plus I want my highest paid players to be leaders in the lock room and Gomez is anything but that.
Jeff Cunningham – $267,500.00
At number 20 is forward Jeff Cunningham. Cunningham is one of the few players to score 100 goals in MLS, but his best days are well behind him. Last season between Toronto and Dallas, Cunningham managed to find the back of the net only 8 times in 27 games. If he does that this year, Dallas will be paying Cunningham about $33,000 a goal.
Nate Jaqua – $208,121.00
Coming in at #31 is Nate Jaqua. Last season Jaqua signed with the Houston Dynamo on July 15 and produced four goals and four assists in 14 games during the second half of the season. Not a bad half season, but that translates to 8 goals in a full season or about $26,000 a goal.
Who do you think is the most overpaid player in MLS?
