Are you curious about how much your favorite Columbus Crew players are earning in 2023? Well, you’re in luck! We’ve dug deep into the world of MLS salaries to bring you all the details on the Crew’s top earners. From the average base salary to the highest-paid player, we’ve got all the stats you need to know to impress your friends with your insider knowledge.
The average base salary of a Columbus Crew player is $541,273 with an average annualized guaranteed compensation of $594,818. The highest-paid player is Lucas Zelarayán, with a base salary of $3,200,000 and guaranteed compensation of $3,800,000.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the salaries of Columbus Crew players, including the top 3 highest-paid players and the proportion of payroll between designated players and the rest of the team. We will also explore how Columbus Crew’s spending compares to other MLS teams.
Table of Contents
- Columbus Crew Salaries
- Top 3 Highest-Paid Players
- The proportion of spending on the Highest Earners
- Columbus Crew Salaries Compared to Other MLS Teams
- Funding: Where Is The Money Coming From?
Columbus Crew Salaries
Here is a breakdown of Columbus Crew players’ base salary and guaranteed compensation.
Top 3 Highest-Paid Players
The players with the highest compensation for Columbus Crew are:
- Lucas Zelarayán – $3,800,000
- Cucho Hernández – $2,886,000
- Darlington Nagbe – $1,800,000
1. Lucas Zelarayán – $3,800,000
Born in Córdoba, Argentina, Zelarayán is a midfielder considered among the most talented players in Major League Soccer (MLS).
He began his professional career with Argentine club Belgrano in 2011. He later played for Tigres UANL in Mexico, where he won the 2 times the Liga MX Apertura, and once the Liga MX Clausura.
He joined the Columbus Crew in January 2020, and since then, he has become a key player for the team. He helped the Crew win the MLS Cup in 2020, and his technical skills, vision, and ability to score goals from a distance have made him a fan favorite. He even signed a multi-year contract to play with the Crews until 2024 with an option for 2025 in December of 2021.
According to Transfermarkt, his current market value is estimated at around €7.00 million. Despite not being his all-time highest of €10.00 million, Zelarayán is still among the most valuable players in the MLS.
Zelarayán typically plays as an attacking midfielder, but can also play on the wings or as a second striker. He is known for his creativity, technical ability, and goal-scoring prowess, and has been praised by fans and analysts alike for his performances on the pitch.
In addition to his success in club football, Zelarayán has also represented the Argentine national team at the youth level. With a base salary of $3.2 million and guaranteed compensation of $3.8 million, he is currently the highest-paid player on the Columbus Crew roster.
2. Cucho Hernández – $2,886,000
Born in Pereira, Colombia, Juan Camilo Hernández, also known as Cucho Hernández, is a Colombian forward who joined the Columbus Crew in June 2022. According to Transfermarkt, his current market value is estimated at around €10.00 million. Despite having a higher market valuation, Cucho is not the highest earner of Columbus Crew.
Hernández was brought in to bolster the Crew’s attacking options, and his speed, skill, and goal-scoring ability have already made him a valuable asset to the team. He proved this by making an impressive debut for the Crew in a 3-2 victory over Chicago Fire on July 9, 2022
With a base salary of $2.5 million and guaranteed compensation of $2.88 million, Hernández is currently one of the second highest-paid players on the Columbus Crew roster.
3. Darlington Nagbe – $1,800,000
Darlington Nagbe is an American midfielder who was born in Monrovia, Liberia. He moved to the United States as a child and began his professional soccer career with the Portland Timbers in 2011 where he played until the 2017 season prior to signing for Atlanta United.
Nagbe joined the Columbus Crew in November 2019 in a trade with Atlanta United, and since then, he has become a key player for the team becoming the current captain of the team.
Although having a guaranteed compensation of $1.8 million, doesn’t make Nagbe to be in the top-25 highest MLS earners, that is enough to be in the top 3 for the Crews. According to Transfermarkt, his current market value is estimated at around €2.50 million.
The proportion of spending on the Highest Earners
In this section, we are going to analyze the spending ratio between players that carried most of the club’s payroll. For instance, it is not a surprise that the designated players Lucas Zelarayán, Cucho Hernández, and Darlington Nagbe are also the highest earners on the team.
According to the ratio below, designated players account for 53% of the team salary showing how valuable they are to the Crews. Despite this being a high percentage, it is common among MLS teams to have between 40% to 50% of the roster salary dedicated toward their best players.
In fact, there are teams like the Chicago Fire that have a 58% of the payroll dedicated to the top three earners. Therefore, Columbus Crew is not the only team highly investing in its top key players.
Further analysis shows that Columbus Crew’s top earner, Lucas Zelarayán, accounts for 24%. Almost one-quarter of the whole team’s salary. Other teams like Austin FC have one-third of the team salary in one player.
Columbus Crew Salaries Compared to Other MLS Teams
Columbus Crew doesn’t have the highest payroll in the MLS with $16 million. Other teams like Toronto FC and LA Galaxy break the $20 million barrier in compensation across their teams, placing the Crews in 12th position on the list of highest roster guaranteed compensation for the 2023 season.
Interestingly, Columbus Crew’s average salary is pretty good with over $500,000, enough to have a high standard of living in the US.
The team also has a couple of players among the list of top-25 earners in the MLS with Lucas Zelarayán being the highest within the $3 to $4 million range, and Cucho Hernández the second highest within the $2.2 to $3 million compensation range.
Funding: Where Is The Money Coming From?
The Columbus Crew is one of the teams who have been since the inaugural season of the Major League Soccer (MLS) in 1996, having won the MLS Cup twice, the Supporters’ Shield in 2004, 2008, and 2009; and the 2002 U.S. Open Cup. Who is investing in the Crews to keep it a top competing MLS team?
One major source of funding for the Columbus Crew is its ownership group. The Haslam and Edwards families, who also own the NFL’s Cleveland Browns, purchased the team in December 2018 and have since made significant investments in the club.
In 2021, the ownership group pledged to invest $50 million in a new stadium in downtown Columbus, which turned out to be close to $100 million. The Haslam and Edwards families have also invested in the team’s training facilities and have hired top-notch coaches and staff to help the team succeed on the field.
Another major source of funding for the Columbus Crew is the league itself. Teams are allowed to use allocation money to pay for players who are above the salary cap. Allocation money is a pool of funds that is distributed to teams by the league and can be used to sign new players, re-sign current players, or buy down the salary of a player who is above the salary cap.
The Columbus Crew has used allocation money to sign high-profile players like Lucas Zelarayán and Darlington Nagbe, who are both among the highest-paid players in the league.
Finally, the Columbus Crew generates revenue from ticket sales, merchandise sales, and sponsorships. The team has a loyal fan base, and its matches regularly draw large crowds to the stadium. The Crew also has several corporate sponsors, including Meijer, Nationwide, and OhioHealth.
