Lorenzo Insigne: Toronto FC to sign Napoli captain on free transfer in July

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Insigne (left) was part of the Italy side that won Euro 2020 last summer

Napoli's Lorenzo Insigne will become the highest paid Major League Soccer player ever after agreeing to join Toronto FC on a free transfer.

He will earn a reported $15m (£11m) per year, beating Zlatan Ibrahimovic's $7.2m salary at LA Galaxy.

The 30-year-old was part of the Italy side that won Euro 2020 last July after beating England on penalties.

"This a historic and exciting day for our club," said Toronto 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."

Insigne has signed a pre-contract agreement with Toronto and will join on a four-year contract in July once the Serie A season has finished.

He joined Napoli as a 15-year-old, scored 114 goals in 416 appearances and has been club captain since 2019.

The forward also has 10 goals in 53 caps for Italy.

Toronto, who are managed by former Swansea City boss Bob Bradley, play in the MLS Eastern Conference and missed out on the play-offs last year.

The new season starts in February.

Bradley said "His ability to create chances for himself and his teammates is special.

"Having watched him for many years, I also know he's also a player who works for the team. Lorenzo is the kind of player you come to watch, because there's always a chance, he'll do something unforgettable."