Today Columbus Crew SC announced that winger Justin Meram has signed a multi-year contract extension with the Club. The 28-year-old Iraqi International is in his seventh season with the Black & Gold, making him the longest tenured player on the team. Currently sitting eighth on the all-time club appearance list, he was the team MVP last season.
Exact terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) was used as part of the deal. Meram’s contract last year was for $185 thousand and TAM can only be used on salaries from $500 thousand to a $1 million, so it’s clear that he received a considerable pay raise.