MLS infuses $1.6m of Targeted Allocation Money per team over 2016, 2017

Major League Soccer announced an infusion of targeted allocation money — $800,00 per year for the next two years, according to a league press release.

That far outstrips the amount the league made available for each team last summer, which was $500k, spread out over the course of five years.

An additional $125,000 is being made available for signing homegrown players.

Targeted allocation money can be used to "strategically invest in" (read: buy down the salary cap hit of) players who make more than the designated player charge, which is $457,000 in 2016.

Theoretically, this could leave Real Salt Lake with only Juan Manuel Martinez as a designated player, with Joao Plata and Kyle Beckerman bought down with funds. Sebastian Jaime is expected to no longer be a designated player next year. RSL should have somewhere in the range of $900,000 to spend in 2016.

It could also lead to Real Salt Lake investing more heavily in experienced or high-value players for 2016. Whether that means picking up a highly coveted defender or splashing the cash on a bigger-name signing is always difficult to say.

This additional allocation has to be spent within "four transfer windows" — so 2016 money has to be spent before the summer transfer window of 2017. It can be traded and all that, so don't expect many teams — if any — to just let it go to waste.