Philadelphia Union, Daniel Gazdag ink new contract and is now a designated player
The Philadelphia Union and Daniel Gazdag have agreed to a contract extension, making him a designated player.
Daniel Gazdag is Officially a Designated Player
The Designated Player Rule
“The Designated Player Rule, nicknamed the Beckham Rule, allows Major League Soccer franchises to sign up to three players that would be considered outside their salary cap (either by offering the player higher wages or by paying a transfer fee for the player). The rule, which was adopted ahead of the 2007 MLS season, enables teams to compete for star players in the international football market. The rule is one of two mechanisms by which MLS teams may exceed their salary cap, the other being allocation money. As of December 2019, there have been 209 Designated Players in league history.
The rule is informally named after David Beckham, in anticipation of MLS teams signing lucrative deals with internationally recognized players, after Beckham entered into negotiations to join the league. Beckham was the first player signed under this rule, signing a five-year contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy with a guaranteed annual salary of $6.5 million.”
Past Designated Players for the Philadelphia Union
- Freddy Adu
- Kleberson
- Cristian Maidana
- Maurice Edu
- Fernando Aristeguieta
- Alejandro Bedoya
- Borek Dockal
- Marco Fabian
- Jamiro Menteiro
- Julian Carranza
- Miakael Uhre
Daniel Gazdag set the Union record for most goals scored in a season in 2022, leading the team to the MLS Final where they fell just short. Gazdag totaled 32 goal contributions last season, and also became the sixth player in MLS history to record 20 goals and 10 assists in a single season.
Gazdag’s contract keeps him with the Philadelphia Union through the 2025 season.
Join The Chase
