Toronto’s quest to sign Italian star Insigne started with simple list
TORONTO — Sometimes, it pays to make a list. In announcing the signing of Italian star winger Lorenzo Insigne, Toronto FC president Bill Manning said the hunt to acquire the Napoli captain started last summer out of concern at the struggling MLS club’s direction.
Knowing team owner Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment had a board meeting in September and having seen the local interest in Italy’s run to the European championship, he started researching possible player targets.
“I actually went to the Transfermarkt website and I looked up the Italian national team on what players were coming out of contract,” Manning said Saturday. “And Lorenzo was one of the few players that was coming out of contract. I started writing down players that I thought were world-class, that I thought would have commercial value in this market.”
Manning, who had presented a five-year plan to the MLSE board when he was hired in 2015, said he then shared his “vision on what we need to do to reinvigorate our club and Lorenzo Insigne was the first name on that list.”
Months later, Manning has his man. Insigne has signed a pre-contract to join the Major League Soccer club on a fouryear deal to begin July 1. The Napoli captain will be 31 when he dons Toronto colours.
Insigne has played at the highest level, from the Champions League to World Cup.
He has made 416 appearances for Napoli, scoring 114 goals with 95 assists across all competitions. In 11 seasons with his hometown club, he has won the Super Cup (2014-15) and Coppa Italia (2013-14 and 2019-20).
Insigne has 10 goals in 53 appearances for Italy, helping the Azzurri to the European title last July in a penalty shootout win over England.
With Napoli’s season ending May 21, Insigne will have some time to recover in advance of the second half of Toronto’s campaign. But he will still face a busy year if sixth-ranked Italy qualifies for the World Cup in Qatar — which will necessitate qualifying playoff wins over No. 67 North Macedonia and then either
No. 8 Portugal or No. 37 Turkey.
Manning called the Insigne deal a “transformational signing” for both club and league — part of the franchise’s plan to load up in advance of the 2026 World Cup, which Canada is co-hosting.
The signing is a swing for the fences, with Toronto looking to return to its winning ways. Champions in 2017 and runnersup in 2016 and 2019, TFC finished 26th out of 27 teams last season with a dismal 6-18-10 campaign.
“Toronto FC’s really been out of market for two full seasons [due to the pandemic],” said Manning. “And we lost a buzz. We lost a buzz in this market.
“Lorenzo Insigne is going to be a player that people want to come see.”
At five-foot-four and
132 pounds, Insigne is small but packs a punch. He can play in attack across the field, but is often deployed as a left winger where he can use his speed, ball skills and powerful shot to great effect.