MLS, MLSPA Agree on New 5-Year Collective Bargaining Agreement

More Major League Soccer players will be eligible for free agency under the terms of a new collective bargaining agreement. The league agreed to terms on a five-year package with the Major League Soccer Players Association on Thursday.

Formal approval is still needed to make the agreement official, per Simon Borg of the MLS official website. If it goes through, the new deal will run until January 31, 2025.

Perhaps the most significant change under the agreement involves an expanded free-agency class. Borg noted how the age for eligibility has been lowered from 28 to 24, while players only need five years experience in the league to qualify, rather than the eight years of service previously required.

There are other tweaks, including "players making above the maximum salary budget, including Designated Players, will now also be eligible for free agency based on specific guidelines."

In addition to changes regarding the league's policy on the transfer of veterans, there are also fresh guidelines for the buying and selling of young players. Specifically, "MLS will have the discretion to allow clubs to sign up to three players who are 22 years old or younger on a reduced charge to a club's salary budget," beginning in 2021.

Clubs will not only have more scope when it comes to the players they can acquire. They will also enjoy greater spending power: "from $8,490,000 in 2019 to $11,643,000 in 2024. In addition, the minimum annual salary for senior roster players will increase each season to $109,200 in 2024, and 401(k) contribution and other benefits will also increase with the new CBA."

More money to spend means better chances for teams in big-market cities to secure lucrative deals to acquire marquee names from across Europe. Many top stars have made the switch during the league's existence, including David Beckham, Thierry Henry, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney.

One name linked this season is Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil. The 31-year-old has been linked with a move to DC United for a while, with Steven Goff of the Washington Post providing more details last month:

The good news for clubs in pursuit of Ozil is that the league intends to maintain the Designated Player Rule. It allows teams to sign up to three players whose cost may exceed the limits of the salary cap, provided the club can bear the extra cost.

There are more player-specific changes involved that were detailed by the MLSPA:

These new guidelines are timely with the league's 25th season set to start February 29. Teams are now better-equipped to build rosters to last, squads topped with star power, but underpinned by the promise of young talent. The league expanded to 26 teams this season and will add two more teams after each of the next two seasons.