One of the most shocking pieces of business in the January transfer window so far took place on Saturday. Long-serving Napoli stalwart Lorenzo Insigne has decided to cut ties with the Partenopei and put pen to paper on a four-year deal at Major League Soccer franchise Toronto FC.
After months of wild speculations linking Insigne with some of Europe’s top clubs, including Inter and Liverpool, the Euro 2020 has put the rumours firmly to bed by signing a long-term contract in MLS. The Italy international is in the final six months of his contract at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium and will remain at Napoli until the end of the season.
Once his contract in Serie A expires in the summer, Insigne will travel across the Atlantic Ocean to link up with Toronto. The 30-year-old, who has been one of Napoli’s most trusted allies over the past half-decade, has refused to commit his future to the Partenopei despite the club’s unrelenting efforts to tie him down to a new deal.
Considering he is in his prime, Insigne’s decision to leave Europe for the MLS has caught many by surprise, but the Canadian crowd will have plenty of reason to look forward to the summer. Toronto president Bill Manning could not hide his excitement for landing one of the Serie A headline performers and arguably the best Napoli player in recent history.
After Insigne’s official presentation, Manning explained how the Italian’s arrival at BMO Field could change the landscape of Toronto and the entire MLS.
“I’m sure BMO Field will be packed and we will give them a world-class player in Lorenzo and maybe others as we rebuild this team,” he said, as relayed by the MLS website. “We think the World Cup here in Toronto in 2026, there’s going to be a transformational moment for this sport in this country and we want to be at the forefront.“
“Our league has grown to a point where a player like Lorenzo, a world-class player in the prime of his career, is willing to come here and to play the next four seasons and potentially longer,” he continued.
“I do think other teams will take notice and I think that’s where our league is going to go. You’ve seen teams in our league purchase players for 10, 15, up to 20 million dollars. You’ve seen world-class players come here maybe a bit past their prime.
“I think now you’re going to start seeing players coming in their prime, the resources in this league are unparalleled across the world in terms of our ownership. For me, it was the next step.”