Deal done?
This article first appeared on Dec. 28, 2021 and has since been updated with new information.
The rumors have been mounting for some time, and it now appears that Toronto FC have landed a major attraction for Major League Soccer. Multiple reports on Tuesday suggested that TFC have reached an agreement to sign Italian national team player Lorenzo Insigne from Napoli on a free transfer. On Tuesday, Fabrizio Romano reported that Insigne is seriously considering an offer by the MLS club. MLSSoccer.com and Waking The Read writer Michael Singh has suggested that a deal is done and will go through in June.
It is a potential mega-deal. Romano wrote that Insigne could earn $13 million a season with another $5 million in bonuses before taxes. According to The Athletic writer Paul Tenorio that would be about $28 million after-tax based on the tax rates in the Canadian Province of Ontario. It would be three times the salary earned by former MLS stars Kaká (Orlando City) and Zlatan Ibrahimović (LA Galaxy). Both made around $7.2 million a season.
Update Jan. 4, 2022: On Tuesday, Romano and Gianluca Di Marzio reported that Insigne has agreed to sign a five and a half year contract. Insigne is set to join the club as a free agent in July. The exact terms of the deal, however, still have to be announced and whether Insigne’s reported salary matches the data that the MLSPA will publish later this season.
A deal of that magnitude would require approval by the league but MLS are unlikely to torpedo a deal that would bring a world star to the league. Although downgraded in the latest Serie A market value update, Insigne would still be the most valuable player in MLS with a market value of $38.5 million (overview).
Martínez, Mukhtar, Araujo & Co. – The 25 most valuable MLS players
Gustavo Bou | New England Revolution | Market value: $6.6m
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Cristian Arango | LAFC | Market value: $6.6m
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Santiago Sosa | Atlanta United | Market value: $6.6m
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Cole Bassett | Colorado Rapids | Market value: $6.6m
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Efraín Álvarez | Los Angeles Galaxy | Market value: $6.6m
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Hany Mukhtar | Nashville SC | Market value: $7.15m
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Ryan Gauld | Vancouver Whitecaps | Market value: $7.15m
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José Cifuentes | Los Angeles FC | Market value: $7.15m
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Carles Gil | New England Revolution | Market value: $7.7m
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Sebastián Driussi | Austin FC | Market value: $7.7m
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Adam Buksa | New England Revolution | Market value: $7.7m
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Yeferson Soteldo | Toronto FC | Market value: $7.7m
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Valentín Castellanos | New York City FC | Market value: $7.7m
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Brenner | FC Cincinnati | Market value: $7.7m
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Talles Magno | New York City FC | Market value: $7.7m
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Dániel Sallói | Sporting Kansas City | Market value: $8.25m
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Raúl Ruidíaz | Seattle Sounders | Market value; $8.8m
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Alan Pulido | Sporting Kansas City | Market value: $8.8m
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Alejandro Pozuelo | Toronto FC | Market value: $8.8m
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Lucas Zelarayán | Columbus Crew | Market value: $8.8m
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Marcelino Moreno | Atlanta United | Market value: $8.8m
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Luiz Araujo | Atlanta United | Market value: $11m
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Emmanuel Reynoso | Minnesota United | Market value: $11m
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Ezequiel Barco | Atlanta United | Market value: $11m
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Josef Martínez | Atlanta United | Market value: $13.75m
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Insigne to Toronto FC – MLSE significantly outbid Napoli
For Napoli, in the meantime, the transfer would be a significant loss. But the Azzurri can not compete with the money offered by TFC owner Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. “Napoli offer significantly less than his current salary, and his agent has complained about that fact many times, but the club has not been willing to compromise,” Italy Area Manager Jatin Dietl said. Napoli offered a basic salary of around €3.5 million (around $4 million). To put that deal in perspective, MLSE also owns the NHL franchise Toronto Maple Leafs and the highest-paid player on that team is Auston Matthews with a salary of $11.6 million before tax.
Most valuable Serie A players
30 Duván Zapata – Atalanta – market value: €33M
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29 Lorenzo Insigne – Napoli – new market value: €35M (-€13M)
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28 Álvaro Morata – Juventus – new market value: €35M (-€10M)
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27 Domenico Berardi – Sassuolo – market value: €35M
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26 Manuel Locatelli – Juventus – market value: €35M
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25 Robin Gosens – Atalanta – market value: €35M
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24 Hakan Calhanoglu – Inter – new market value: €35M (+€5M)
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23 Sandro Tonali – AC Milan – new market value: €35M (+€8M)
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22 Rafael Leão – AC Milan – new market value: €35M (+€10M)
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21 Tammy Abraham – Roma – market value: €38M
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20 Hirving Lozano – Inter – new market value: €40M (-€5M)
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19 Marcelo Brozovic – Inter – market value: €40M
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18 Stefan de Vrij – Inter – new market value: €45M (-€5M)
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17 Kalidou Koulibaly – Napoli – new market value: €45M (-€3M)
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16 Lorenzo Pellegrini – Roma – market value: €45M
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15 Fikayo Tomori – AC Milan – new market value: €45M (+€5M)
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14 Franck Kessié – AC Milan – new market value: €48M (-€7M)
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13 Theo Hernández – AC Milan – new market value: €48M (-€2M)
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12 Piotr Zielinski – Napoli – market value: €50M
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11 Paulo Dybala – Juventus – market value: €50M
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10 Fabián Ruiz – Napoli – new market value: €55M (+€10M)
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9 Victor Osimhen – Napoli – market value: €60M
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8 Alessandro Bastoni – Inter – market value: €60M
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7 Matthijs de Ligt – Juventus – new market value: €65M (-€5M)
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6 Milan Skriniar – Inter – new market value: €65M (+€5M)
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5 Sergej Milinković-Savić – Lazio – market value: €70M
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4 Federico Chiesa – Juventus – market value: €70M
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3 Nicolò Barella – Inter – new market value: €70M (+€5M)
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2 Dušan Vlahovic – Fiorentina – new market value: €70M (+€20M)
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1 Lautaro Martínez – Inter – market value: €80M
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