Report: Insigne to join Toronto FC on mega deal worth €11.5M per season

Lorenzo Insigne has agreed to join Toronto FC on a lucrative five-and-a-half-year contract worth €11.5 million per season, Sky Sport Italia's Gianluca Di Marzio reports.

Insigne, a star player in Serie A and starter for the Italian national team, will reportedly head to Major League Soccer as a free agent once his contract with Napoli expires in June.

His deal with TFC also includes a potential €4.5 million in bonuses, according to Di Marzio.

As one of Toronto's three Designated Players, Insigne will easily become the highest earner in MLS history. Zlatan Ibrahimovic pulled in a then-record $7.2 million while playing for the LA Galaxy in 2019, and Los Angeles FC's Carlos Vela led all earners last term with $6.3 million in total compensation.

Although Alejandro Pozuelo, Jozy Altidore, and Yeferson Soteldo currently occupy TFC's three Designated Player spots, Altidore is expected to terminate his contract, and Soteldo could leave before the start of next season.

Still just 30, Insigne is one of Serie A's most popular players and a regular fixture in Italy's lineup. The left-winger scored twice at Euro 2020, including the winner against Belgium in the quarterfinals.

Insigne's move to MLS follows countryman Sebastian Giovinco's headline-grabbing transfer in January 2015. Giovinco, who earned a comparatively modest $5.6 million per season, led Toronto to its first MLS Cup in 2017.

A lifelong Napoli fan, Insigne has spent the majority of his career in southern Italy, only breaking away for loan spells at Cavese, Foggia, and Pescara. He made his debut for Napoli in January 2010 and won the captaincy upon Marek Hamsik's departure in 2019.

Insigne has 107 goals and 85 assists in 357 career Serie A appearances.