D.C. United: Paul Arriola extension must be price-dependent

On Saturday, the Washington Post reported that D.C. United and Paul Arriola have held ‘productive discussions’ regarding a contract extension. The wisdom of the deal, however, is entirely price-dependent.

Increasingly, Major League Soccer clubs — and clubs around the world, for that matter — are recognising the importance of efficient spending and investment. Modern football has always been affluent at the top level, and the clubs that do have money to spend and rarely done so wisely, assuming that spending begets success.

Of course, it doesn’t. For the most part, spending is a necessary step along the way to success. Consistently, the richest clubs win. But the investments that are made must be efficient, intelligent, progressive steps that help to build a team. Not spending for spending’s sake.

In MLS, teams have always had a greater awareness of making their investments go further. Because of the salary, the roster restrictions, and the single-entity ownership of the league, splashing cash for the sake of it does not lead to success like it can do in Europe. Because of the rules in place, American sports are inherently more self-policed when it comes to the finances of how they are run. MLS is no different.

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However, that does not mean that teams always make smart financial decisions. There have been plenty disastrous Designated Player and TAM contracts that prove as much.

This weekend, the Washington Post reported that D.C. United have entered into talks with winger Paul Arriola regarding a contract extension. The American’s current deal runs through 2021 and paid him $700,000 in 2019, but the club are reportedly keen to extend his deal despite him currently rehabbing from an ACL rupture he suffered in preseason in February.

According to the report, D.C. United and Arriola have held ‘positive discussions’ regarding the extension which is expected to keep him as a DP, one of two alongside new signing Edison Flores. Arriola has been a key piece of the D.C. puzzle since arriving from Mexican club Tijuana in August 2017. He has 14 goals and 13 assists in 68 regular-season appearances, starting all over the pitch, from right-back to left-wing.

However, while Arriola has been everpresent and is still only 25, which is the ideal age to invest in and secure the long-term future of, in reality, he has not played at a high-end DP level. It calls into question the wisdom of offering him a bumper new deal.

In 2020, the maximum budget charge is $612,500. This is the salary that a DP is calculated as within the salary cap, even when they are paid substantially more than that. It is why making the most of the three DP slots on the roster is absolutely vital. Invariably, the best teams have the best DPs. And for all of Arriola’s industry, he is not at an elite DP level.

He has fewer goals and assists combined in two-and-a-half years than Carlos Vela, Josef Martinez, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic had in one year. His six goals and three assists in 2,553 minutes is not even a vaguely decent return, nevermind for one of only three DP slots.

Admittedly, Arriola played across the D.C. United line-up, including one match at right-back and another at left-back, but that type of return for a winger is not sufficient for a team looking to compete for MLS Cup.

How you spend is hugely important. D.C. United restructured their investments this offseason with the departures of Wayne Rooney and Lucas Rodriguez and the arrivals of Julian Gressel and Flores. But signing Arriola to an extension does not follow along those lines. In fact, for the wrong price, it might even be a step in the wrong direction.