The Jalen Neal Trade Is Outstanding

But why? Let's dig in

For those who missed it, the LA Galaxy traded 21 year-old CB Jalen Neal to the Montreal Impact for:

• $450,000 2025 GAM

• $200,000 2026 GAM

• 2025 INTL Spot

Also, they retained a sell on percentage for Neal if he’s sold to another club

When the deal was announced, I began to think of it from the Galaxy perspective.

Marc Machado

has detailed the cap difficulties that the team is having defending their MLS Cup crown, and it made sense why they had to part ways with one of their younger pieces. Getting an international spot and some GAM is key to continue building a team that will be without Riqui Puig for much of the season.

I failed to look at the perspective of the Montreal Impact. Forget the total cap implications; there’s no need to whip out the spreadsheets. This is an absolute slam-dunk move by Montreal and it starts at the U22 Initiative mechanism.

It’s easy to think of the U22 initiative for only international talent. Homegrown players can also be signed to these deals, which can be a cap cheat code in MLS. For example, did you guys know that Dejan Joveljic (yes the 21-goal-scoring player) was a U22 player in the Galaxy’s run to MLS Cup? His cap hit for the 2024 season was $200,000.

And yes, we know he’s 25. The U22 initiative allows players to be on the deal until the season that they turn 26. Essentially, if you sign a player at age 22 for a three-year deal, you can have him at the cap hit of $200,000, even if he’s making more. For homegrowns and draft picks, it’s even better; if they’re signing a second contract (like Neal is), they can earn up to $200,000 above the max budget charge (which, in 2025, is $743,750). His cap hit until his contract ends or the season he turns 26?

$200,000 (unless MLS changes this, which is allowed in the CBA)

For the 2025 season, Neal’s cap hit will be three percent of the ‘salary cap’ and around two percent of the default total spend a club has. Those numbers increase year after year. Barring a change, Neal’s cap hit is minuscule to Montreal’s roster build.

Since he’s a homegrown U22, all of his proceeds from a sale will be available to be converted into allocation money.

We’ve gone over the cap-hit side of the equation. As a player, Neal fits exactly what Laurent Courtois needs in his system; a ball-playing CB. Courtois’ coaching style is molded in the Wilfred Nancy way of ball; a back three possession-oriented side. Their expected pass percentage was the fifth highest and their average vertical completed passing distance was the fifth lowest in MLS. Do you know who was tops in that category?

The LA Galaxy.

Picking off a player who is used to your style is important when roster building. Sometimes, teams just shoot at players, hoping to conform them to their respective style of play. Compare the expected passing numbers of Neal to Joel Waterman, Fran Alvarez, and George Campbell; he aligns very closely with them (thanks ASA).

Looking deeper, his goals added (in limited time) show above-average passing in 2024.

Compare him to some of the other guys (Corbo had his contract declined)

You can see why Neal stands out; his defending wasn’t great in moments (as weren’t the Galaxy as a team) but his passing in 2024 made up for it. Montreal also bled goals in 2024 but sometimes, that is the result of getting acclimated to a new system where mistakes can happen. Improving his defense and the shape of Montreal's defense as a whole will be a priority for Courtois. They will need to improve if they want to make an appearance in the playoffs (and not the post-season).

For the cap hit, for the fit, for the potential, the Jalen Neal deal is a home run for Montreal. It’s a move in the right direction for a club that seemingly does so well in terms of intraleague signings.

Quick Hits:

I recently discovered that the CBA has some interesting info. I wanted to pass this on to you guys for your roster-building adventures, so here’s a small table outlining a couple of important roster numbers.

I went on 3rdDegree’s Podcast to discuss my thoughts on FC Dallas’ potential moves, including the Jesus Ferreira trade and the other rumors swirling around the club.

I wrote about the curious case of the international spots; have they been returned to their respective owners? Here’s a link to that below.

Song of the Post:

I’m not all about soccer (if you can believe that). I love House Music and often attend my local music venues, enjoying some variation of electronic music. I wanted to share a song on this post and beyond. My current go-to has been Mark Knight’s Transitions, a record from 9 years ago that is timeless and is a great listen.

Until next time!