It was Jan. 29, 2018 when news broke that Orlando City, a club already within the throes of a complete off-season attacking overhaul, had officially signed winger Justin Meram from the Columbus Crew in exchange for $750,000 ($300,000 in 2018 and $450,000 in 2019) in Targeted Allocation Money (TAM), $300,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM), and a 2019 international roster slot to be returned to City in 2020.
At the time, the deal was met with massive applause and fanfare from all parties involved. Columbus, despite losing one of its strongest players and fan favorites, was happy with the amount that Orlando City was willing to dish out for Meram’s services.