Nashville SC has quickly become one of the most exciting teams in Major League Soccer (MLS), thanks to a roster of talented players from around the world. But what do these players earn for their efforts on the field?
The average base salary of a Nashville SC player is $454,902 with an average annualized guaranteed compensation of $496,756 on a roster of 28 players. The highest-paid player is Hany Mukhtar, with a base salary of $2,900,000 and guaranteed compensation of $3,188,750.
These numbers put Nashville in the middle of the pack compared to other MLS teams, but it’s important to note that Nashville is still a young team that is building its roster and financial resources.
In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into Nashville SC’s 2023 player salaries, including the top 3 highest-paid players. Additionally, we’ll analyze the spending on the highest earners and see how it affects the team’s overall performance. We will also explore how Nashville SC’s spending compares to other MLS teams.
Table of Contents
- Nashville SC Salaries
- Top 3 Highest-Paid Players
- The proportion of spending on the Highest Earners
- Nashville SC Salaries Compared to Other MLS Teams
- Funding: Where Is The Money Coming From?
Nashville SC Salaries
Here is a breakdown of Nashville SC players’ base salary and guaranteed compensation.
Top 3 Highest-Paid Players
The players with the highest compensation of Nashville SC are:
- Hany Mukhtar – $3,188,750
- Walker Zimmerman – $2,056,979
- Randall Leal – $1,115,000
1. Hany Mukhtar – $3,188,750
Hany Mukhtar joined Nashville SC ahead of their debut season in MLS in 2020, becoming the First Designated Player on the team. He plays primarily as an attacking midfielder and is known for his technical skills and ability to create scoring chances for his teammates.
His market value, according to Transfermarkt, is currently €12 million as of June 2023. This is the highest for the German player whose previous highest value was €8 million which coincidentally he reached while playing for Nashille SC.
Mukhtar’s compensation for the 2023 season is $3,188,750, making him the highest-paid player on Nashville SC’s roster. This reflects his importance to the team and the club making his 4th consecutive season as the Designated Player.
2. Walker Zimmerman – $2,056,979
Born on May 19, 1993, in Lawrenceville, Georgia, Walker Zimmerman is among the top American soccer players paid in the MLS. Additionally, he is the second Designated Player on the roster, a spot typically given to international players such as Xherdan Shaqiri and Lorenzo Insigne.
Zimmerman market value, according to Transfermarkt, is currently €3.5 million, which is also his highest value throughout his professional career achieving it while playing for Nashville SC, quite similar to the case of Hany Mukhtar.
Zimmerman’s compensation for the 2023 season is $2,056,979, making him the second highest-paid player on Nashville SC’s roster. He has had the privilege to not only represent his country, but also become the captain in a handful of games for the US Mens Soccer National Team.
3. Randall Leal – $1,115,000
Randall Leal is a Costa Rican midfielder who began his professional career with Deportivo Saprissa in his home country, where he quickly established himself as a key player and helped the team win the Concacaf League.
In 2020, Leal was announced as a new signing for Nashville SC ahead of their debut season in MLS. He has been a key player for the team ever since, playing primarily as an attacking midfielder and contributing both goals and assists.
His market value, according to Transfermarkt, is currently €4 million, his highest throughout his career. Leal’s compensation for the 2023 season is $1,115,000 making him the third-highest earner in the team, which is not actually too high when compared to other highest earners in the league.
The proportion of spending on the Highest Earners
MLS teams are allowed to have up to 3 Designated Players. Designated players are typically the highest earners on each team, representing a good portion of the overall team payroll. What’s interesting about Nashville SC is that for the 2023 season they have occupied 2 Designated Player spots: Hany Mukhtar and Walker Zimmerman These two players account for 38% of the whole roster salary.
It seems unusual compared to other teams like Inter Miami CF where designated players account for over 50% of the team’s paycheck. This doesn’t mean Nashville SC doesn’t pay well their top-designated players. We must remember they haven’t used the third Designated Player spot, which could dramatically increase the Designated vs Rest of the Players salary ratio.
Hany Mukhtar stands out as the highest earner of the team, as well as among the top-paid players in the MLS. His guaranteed compensation amounts to $3.1 million, making him a critical investment for Nasvhille SC as he accounts for 23% of the whole team payroll.
The German also stands out as being part of the top 25 highest-earner players list of the MLS by being the first on the list to break the $3 million compensation mark.
Nashville SC Salaries Compared to Other MLS Teams
Inter Miami has a total roster compensation of $13.9 million. Definitely not the highest payroll compared to MLS teams. In fact, their payroll is the 18th highest out of 29 teams in the MLS, taking a much rather iconservative spending approach in signing players.
Other teams like Toronto FC, LA Galaxy, and DC United pay over $20 million in payroll, a difference of $6 million or more towards investing in high-top-level players.
That doesn’t mean Nashville SC doesn’t invest in top players. In fact, their Hany Mukhtar stands out as being part of the top 25 highest-earner players list of the MLS by being the first on the list to break the $3 million compensation mark.
Funding: Where Is The Money Coming From?
Nashville SC is a relatively new team in Major League Soccer (MLS), having debuted in the league in 2020. Despite this, they have been able to attract some high-profile players and pay them competitive salaries. So where is the money coming from to fund these salaries?
One source of funding for Nashville SC is the team’s ownership group, which includes businessman John Ingram, the chairman of Ingram Industries. According to Forbes, Ingram has a net worth of $4.3 billion, making him one of the richest people in Tennessee.
Another source of funding for Nashville SC is MLS itself. The league has a salary cap in place to ensure that teams are operating on a level playing field, but they also provide additional funding to teams in the form of targeted allocation money (TAM) and general allocation money (GAM). These funds can be used to sign players or pay down their salaries, allowing teams to stay within the salary cap while still competing for top talent.
Finally, Nashville SC has also been able to attract sponsorships and partnerships with local and national companies. For instance, they have partnered with companies like Chevrolet, Adidas, All State, Coca-Cola, Heineken, to name a few. These partnerships provide additional revenue streams for the team and help to offset the cost of player salaries.
Overall, Nashville SC has been able to fund its player salaries through a combination of ownership investment, MLS funding, and sponsorships/partnerships. With a strong ownership group, a growing fanbase, and a competitive team on the field, Nashville SC will be hoping to continue its success in MLS for years to come.
