Lorenzo Insigne makes stunning switch from Napoli to Toronto FC with Italy star joining the MLS side in the summer on a free transfer and ‘earning a whopping £11million a year’
- Lorenzo Insigne has confirmed he is moving to MLS side Toronto FC next year
- The Napoli and Italy star will join the Canadian side on a free in the summer
- Insigne, 30, will reportedly earn £11million a year, a record-breaking MLS salaryÂ
Lorenzo Insigne has sent shockwaves across European football by agreeing to join Canadian side Toronto FC next summer.
The 30-year-old forward, who was a key part of Italy’s European Championship win in June, has agreed a four-year deal worth a reported £11million a year, according to The Athletic, making him the highest paid player in MLS history.Â
Insigne’s time at Napoli looked to be coming to an end after talks over a contract extension stalled because the club wanted him to take a pay cut.Â
Toronto FC have confirmed the signing of Napoli and Italy forward Lorenzo Insigne on a free
Several European clubs were linked to signing Insigne, most notably Tottenham, but after many rumours mooting a move to MLS, Toronto FC released a statement on Saturday confirming the deal.Â
‘This is a historic and exciting day for our club,’ said Toronto FC president Bill Manning. ‘Lorenzo is a world class attacking player in the prime of his career. He was a European champion with Italy and has performed on the biggest stages during his club career with Napoli.’
Indeed, Napoli fans will be sad to see Insigne leave as he spent his entire senior career on the club’s books, with short loan spells at Cavese, Foggia and Pescara his only time away from Naples.Â
Insigne will leave the Italian side he has played over 400 games for at the end of the season
In more than 400 club appearances since graduating from Napoli’s youth academy in 2010, Insigne has scored 114 goals and provided 91 assists. He has won the Italian Cup twice and the Italian Super Cup.
An established Italy international, Insigne has 53 caps with 10 goals for the Azzurri, with the Euro 2020 title the jewel in the crown.Â
Toronto FC head coach Bob Bradley said: ‘We are all looking forward to having Lorenzo join us this summer. His ability to create chances for himself and his teammates is special.Â
‘Having watched him for many years, I also know he’s also a player who works for the team. Lorenzo is the kind of player you come to watch, because there’s always a chance, he’ll do something unforgettable.’Â
Insigne will have his work cut out for him at Toronto FC. The team finished second-bottom in the MLS Eastern Conference last season, winning just six matches out of 34. Â
Insigne (centre) was part of the Italy team that defeated England to win Euro 2020 last year
