Start with the need.
Review the roles you need to fill, contracts that need a decision, and players already at your club who could step in. Check why each need matters now and what you risk by waiting.
For MLS sporting directors
Plan your next squad move.
See what it changes.
You need two players. One asks for more money. Can you still sign both?
We’re designing Nutmeg Football to bring squad needs, player research, and proposed moves into one plan. Compare each offer with the roles you need to fill, the money you would commit, and the choices you would keep for the next window.
How it works
Keep each move in the squad plan.
Compare your options.
Compare how each player fits, what the move could cost, and what your scouts have found. Keep the evidence and unanswered questions alongside each option.
Test the whole plan.
Compare the proposed deal with another target, a player already at your club, or waiting. Check how each choice affects squad depth, payments, league budget limits, and future commitments.
A squad decision
One player asks for more. Can you still sign both?
Harbor FC needs a defender and a midfielder. The club has set aside $2 million for acquisition payments this window. The preferred defender’s original price leaves room for the midfielder. His counteroffer pushes the pair over that limit.
| Proposed pair | Acquisition payments this window | Effect on the plan |
|---|---|---|
| Leo Marin at the original price + Eli Costa | $1.8 million | Both signings fit within the $2 million limit |
| Marin at the counteroffer price + Costa | $2.1 million | The pair costs $100,000 more than the limit |
| Tomas Vale + Costa | $1.6 million | Both signings fit, but scouts have less evidence of Vale’s recovery pace |
Fictional example. These amounts cover acquisition payments only. Assess wages, other commitments, player eligibility, and charges against league budget limits separately.
Signing Marin alone at the new price leaves $500,000. The midfield move needs $600,000. You could negotiate, choose the other defender, leave the midfield role open, or wait.
Choosing Vale leaves room for both signings. But the scouting evidence gives you less confidence in his ability to recover when defending a high line. Weigh that gap against leaving the midfield role open. The numbers help you compare the choices; you still make the decision.
What the decision includes
Judge more than the offer.
Player fit and squad depth
Which need would the move address? Where would you gain or lose cover? Would two roles still rely on the same backup?
Payments and league budget limits
When would you pay, and what would you still owe? How would league rules count the deal against your budget limits? Delaying a payment does not necessarily reduce the charge under those rules.
The next window
What would the contract commit you to next season and beyond? Which roles would still need cover? What room would you keep for another move?
Questions to resolve
Separate reported facts, estimates, and assumptions. Check wages, the player’s interest in the move, and eligibility. Keep unanswered questions in view when you compare options.
Product stage
We’re designing Nutmeg Football around your squad plan.
We don’t offer a finished product yet. This page explains the approach we’re developing. Tell us how your club handles these decisions and where you need more help.
Questions
Who does Nutmeg Football serve first?
We’re starting with MLS front offices, including clubs recruiting abroad. Plans need to account for the league rules and player eligibility requirements that apply to the season in question.
How would the plan handle missing information?
We plan to show gaps alongside the evidence. You could test an option with labeled assumptions, but those assumptions would not confirm a fact or prove that the move meets all requirements.
Can I try a working demo?
We don’t offer a working demo yet. The Harbor FC example uses fictional players and amounts. We’ll label future concept demos and distinguish them from tools that use real inputs and working calculations.
Talk to us
Which squad decision do you need to work through?
An increased asking price. A renewal that affects who steps in next. A signing that depends on a sale. Tell us what you need to decide and what you still need to know.
Talk through a squad decisionnutmeg@nutmegfootball.comDescribe the decision in general terms. Please leave out confidential player or contract details.
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