TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Reports
UPDATE: (Jan. 4, 8:20 am ET): Toronto FC's pursuit of Italy and Napoli star Lorenzo Insigne is over the finish line, according to reports from Fabrizio Romano and Gianluca Di Marzio of Sky Sports.
The world-class forward would reportedly join Toronto in July once his contract with Napoli expires after the Serie A season. And Insigne would arrive on a five-and-a-half year deal as a free agent, keeping him with the Reds through the 2027 MLS campaign.
Insigne, who turns 31 in June, would stand among MLS' best-ever players. He serves as Napoli's captain as they chase a Serie A title and Europa League run, while he's helping Italy try to clinch a Qatar 2022 World Cup spot after last summer's European Championship title.
The Insigne deal has previously been reported as paying him about $13 million per season.
Toronto are in a transformational offseason as Bob Bradley takes over as sporting director and head coach, with Designated Players Yeferson Soteldo and Jozy Altidore both linked to outbound moves.
UPDATE: (Dec. 28, 11:45 am ET): Lorenzo Insigne has reportedly agreed to terms with Toronto FC and will join the Reds this summer.
Reporter Michael Singh tweeted the deal is finalized, citing sources, with the 30-year-old Napoli captain set to join TFC after the expiration of his Serie A contract in June.
Insigne, should he come to Toronto, would enter the echelon of MLS' most talented players. He's scored 10 goals in 53 caps for Italy, helping Gli Azzurri capture the Euro 2020 title, plus has 11 goals across 30 Champions League games for Napoli.
UPDATE (Dec. 28, 9:50 am ET): The long-speculated rumor of Lorenzo Insigne joining Toronto FC is apparently getting closer to reality.
According to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, the 30-year-old Napoli and Italy national team attacker is "seriously thinking about" a five-year deal worth about $13 million per season, with another $5 million in bonuses.
Should that come to fruition, Insigne would stand among the highest earners in MLS history.
TFC currently have midfielder Alejandro Pozuelo, winger Yeferson Soteldo and forward Jozy Altidore as Designated Players. But there's been speculation about Soteldo and/or Altidore departing this offseason, perhaps opening a window for Insigne to arrive as new head coach/sporting director Bob Bradley looks to return Toronto to the league's elite.
ORIGINAL (Dec. 17, 1:30 pm ET): Euro 2020-winning Italian attacker Lorenzo Insigne is apparently open to a Toronto FC move as the Serie A season progresses, according to agent Vicente Pascante.
On Thursday, Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano translated recent comments Pascante made to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport acknowledging a move to the Reds was a possibility.
Insigne has spent his entire top-flight career with Napoli but will see his contract expire at the end of the campaign. Rumors connecting the Italian star to Toronto began circulating a couple of months ago.
First, a disclaimer: Insigne's representative doesn't exactly have his details correct. Pascante is either talking about Sebastian Giovinco's famous tenure as Toronto's attacking centerpiece from 2015 to 2018, or Alessandro Del Pierro's career swan song with Sydney FC in Australia's A-League from 2012 to 2014.
Perhaps that oversight isn't surprising. A month ago, the same representative went on the record insisting there was no truth to rumors of Insigne potentially being interested in following Giovinco's path. That contradicted the reporting of MLSsoccer.com's own Tom Bogert, among others.
Insigne helped Italy win the belated 2020 European Championships this summer, scoring twice and starting six of Italy's seven matches.
Domestically, he has shown few signs of slowing down, scoring a career-high 19 goals in the 2020-21 Serie A campaign, and contributing four goals and four assists in 15 appearances this season.
