Insigne to leave Napoli after 15 years, join Toronto in July
Jan 7, 2022, 4:48 PM | Updated: Jan 8, 2022, 6:50 am
Juventus' Federico Bernardeschi, right, and Napoli's Lorenzo Insigne battle for the ball during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Napoli at the Allianz stadium in Turin, Italy, Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)
(Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)
TORONTO (AP) — Italy winger Lorenzo Insigne will end his 15-year association with Napoli at the end of the season after signing a pre-contract agreement with Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.
Insigne will join Toronto on a four-year deal starting July 1, the team said Saturday.
The 30-year-old Insigne, one of Italy’s best players in winning the European Championship last year, will join Toronto’s roster as a designated player pending international clearance for his transfer.
Toronto president Bill Manning described the signing of Insigne as an “historic and exciting day for our club,” saying: “Lorenzo is a world-class attacking player in the prime of his career.”
Insigne, who has played 53 times for Italy and scored 10 goals, has been Napoli’s captain since 2019. He joined the club as a 15-year-old player in 2006 and made his debut for the senior team in 2010.
“Lorenzo is the kind of player you come to watch,” Toronto head coach Bob Bradley said, “because there’s always a chance he’ll do something unforgettable.”
Financial terms were not disclosed.
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