Italy´s Insigne joins Toronto FC on 4-year deal

Napoli captain Lorenzo Insigne has signed a pre-contract with Toronto FC on a four-year deal to begin on July 1, and the Italian international will leave his childhood club as a free agent this summer, the MLS side confirmed on Saturday, reported Xinhua.

Born in Naples, Insigne began his professional career with Napoli and made his Serie A debut in 2009.

In his 416 appearances for the Partenopei so far, the 30-year-old scored 114 goals with 95 assists across all competitions.

The left-winger also earned 53 caps and scored 10 goals for the national side, and was an anchor in Azzurri's triumph to the 2020 European Championship.

Insigne's contract with Napoli is due to expire this summer, the negotiations for the extension has been dragging on for a long period. According to multiple reports, the southern club did offer a new deal, but the player must accept a significant pay cut.

It is reported the new club will offer him 11.5 million euros per year, on top of considerable performance-related bonus.

"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.

"Lorenzo has the talent to change games. He plays the game with joy and passion, and our fans and supporters are going to love watching him as a member of our team."