Toronto FC is a step closer to signing a big-name, high-paid star, but whether or not this will happen next season is not certain, the club's chief operating officer says.
COO Tom Anselmi says the MLSE board has approved its 2009 business plan, which includes signing a designated player.
But he says the soccer team has no "immediate" plans to fill the spot.
If Toronto FC's director of soccer Mo Johnston can find the right player at the right time to make the team better, having a designated player is an option, says Anselmi.
But he wouldn't give a range for how much the team is willing to spend.
"Mo needs to decide whether he finds a guy he's interested in," says Anselmi. "If he does, we'll look at the costs."
Under league rules, an MLS team can dodge its salary cap by paying one player virtually any amount, except $400,000 of their pay must be counted in the cap.
This player is considered the designated player, but all the other players' salaries must fall under the cap.
Not every team has a designated player, and those that do have had varying success.
While the L.A. Galaxy signed David Beckham to a five-year US$250 million deal in 2007, his team didn't even make the playoffs this season.
But Chicago Fire and former Mexican international Cuauhtemoc Blanco is paid US$2.7 million a year - second in the league next to Beckham - and has been a catalyst for his team scoring seven goals and 11 assists this season.
Blanco was also the MVP at the 2008 MLS All-Star game.
