Official- FC Cincinnati announced the acquisition of $950,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) from the New York Red Bulls in exchange for the first pick in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft, midfielder, Frankie Amaya.
The Orange and Blue will receive $500,000 in GAM in 2021 and $450,000 in GAM in 2022. The club can receive another $125,000 in GAM if certain performance metrics are met bring the total to $1,075,000. FC Cincinnati would also receive a percentage of a transfer fee should New York sell Amaya outside of Major League Soccer.
“It is always difficult to make these types of decisions as we part ways with one of our first MLS players,” General Manager Gerard Nijkamp said. “With that said, this move represents great value and ultimately provides
The trade concludes a tumultuous period for both the club and Amaya. There were reports of trade offers for Amaya that leaked in January followed by a trade demand in February.
“I’ve given everything to Cincinnati and the fans over the last two years and I will always be grateful for their support and kindness,” said Amaya. “During this offseason I’ve realized that the club doesn’t have the same level of commitment to me, so I have asked the club to trade me as I don’t feel my goals can be achieved in Cincinnati.”
The $950,000+ is not an insignificant amount for the young player. MLS Best XI midfielder Darlington Nagbe netted $1,050,000 in allocation money a season ago and this gives FC Cincinnati the ability to go out and trade for an impact player within the league. The club has been rumored to be on the lookout for further defensive support and this allocation money could be used to complete the move.
Pay attention to our Salary Budget Tracker for the latest moves concerning FC Cincinnati.