MLS salaries: Insigne highest paid player - Bale earns $2.39m a season

The Major League Soccer Players Association (MLSPA) has updated the 2022 salary guide, and not surprising Toronto FC star Lorenzo Insigne tops the MLS salary ranking. Signed on a free transfer from Napoli this summer, the 31-year-old earns a guaranteed salary of $14 million—annualized as Isigne joined mid-season. Insigne scored six goals and two assists in 12 games across all competitions for TFC, but his arrival was not enough for the Canadian club to reach the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.

 

Toronto FC's other high-profile signing Federico Bernardeschi came in third with an annual guaranteed salary of $6.25m. Chicago Fire star Xherdan Shaqiri is sandwiched between the two TFC Italians in second place with an annual guaranteed salary of $8.15m. The Swiss winger was signed for €7m from Ligue 1 side Olympique Lyon in February and scored seven goals and six assists in 29 MLS regular season games. Like TFC, the Fire missed out on the playoffs. 

In the playoffs and in the top five among the top earners in MLS are LA Galaxy stars Chicharito and Douglas Costa. Chicharito dropped to fourth place with an annual guaranteed salary of $6m. The Mexican star is set to return for one additional season and has been outstanding this year, scoring 19 goals and three assists in 38 games across all competitions. Douglas Costa earns $5.8m a season but is yet to show that he justifies the high investment placed in him by the Galaxy. 

Gareth Bale among top 25 - Earns $2.39m a season 

The same can be said about Wales star Gareth Bale. The 33-year-old winger arrived on a free transfer from Real Madrid in the summer but has been mostly a bench player for LAFC. Bale has scored two goals in 12 MLS games but could still play an important role in the MLS Cup Playoffs in which LAFC will host city rivals LA Galaxy in the second round. Bale ranks 24th among MLS players with an annual salary of $2.39 million and was not listed as a Designated Player (DP) by his club this season.