$16.7 Million. Seven Goals. Do the Math.

Atlanta United is paying $1.19 million per goal contribution from its Designated Players. Let that number breathe.

I’m 78% sure this is a full-blown spending crisis. The 22% is Miranchuk, who’s actually producing. One out of three isn’t a DP strategy. It’s a coin flip with worse odds.

The receipts. Almirón: $7.87 million. Zero goals. Three assists. Fifth-highest salary in all of MLS and he hasn’t scored once. Latte Lath: $3.74 million, two goals in 901 minutes, six shots on target from 24 attempts. Miranchuk: $5.09 million, five goals, two assists — the only one earning his check.

Combined: $16.7 million for seven goals and seven assists. Second-highest DP payroll in MLS. Nashville’s Sam Surridge alone has nine goals for less money. Colorado’s entire DP trio outproduces Atlanta for less than what Latte Lath alone costs.

Fourteenth in the East. Seven points below the playoff line. The front office just signed two free-transfer center-backs in 24 hours. But you don’t solve a scoring crisis by reinforcing defense. You solve it by getting production from the $16.7 million already burning.

The Almirón buyout op-ed is already published. The fans are already doing the math.

Friday at Nashville. Four consecutive road games. Tell me that $16.7 million is worth it. I’ll wait.