Things have come to a head between Toronto FC and Lorenzo Insigne.
Insigne, whose salary of US$15.4 million last season was second only to Lionel Messi in Major League Soccer, has been told that he does not fit in Toronto's style of play under new coach Robin Fraser, said two sources with knowledge of the situation.
The sources, granted anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, confirmed that Toronto presented the 33-year-old Italian with transfer offers from Italy (Venezia), Spain (Real Valladolid) and Turkey (Sivasspor).
Insigne, whose contract with Toronto runs through June 2026, rejected the moves.
That recalcitrance has prompted Toronto to turn up the heat.
Insigne was not part of first-team lineups in the club's two pre-season games to date and the former Napoli captain is facing a choice — either accept a move or mutual termination of his contract or sit for the duration of the deal.
Transfer options may have to wait until the summer with windows closing in many markets,
Against Colorado on Tuesday in Palm Beach, Fla., Fraser fielded a first-team lineup to start the game, which saw a 30-minute segment tagged on to two 45-minute halves. Insigne came on in the 71st minute.
"At the end of the day, we are looking at all the players and looking at players in different scenarios," Fraser said after the game when asked about Insigne's late participation. "It's just how it worked out."
Insigne was also part of the second unit in TFC's pre-season opener in Spain on Jan. 30, a 1-1 draw with Norway's Norway's Fredrikstad FK.
The fact that the three European clubs willing to take Insigne — with Toronto FC paying a hefty part of his salary — are near the bottom of their respective leagues is proof that the interest in Insigne is modest. But they offer a way out.
Nicknamed "Lorenzo Il Magnifico," Insigne and fellow Italian Federico Bernardeschi arrived to fanfare in the summer of 2022. But while there were flashes of star quality, Insigne has not come as advertised.
In 54 MLS outings, he has 14 goals and 14 assists — which have come at a cost of more than US$30 million.
At his best, the five-foot-four winger was a force coming off the wing with a powerful shot and was dangerous from set pieces. But too often, he was nursing injuries as his body continued to break down.
And when he was on the field, his body language was often negative — showing more frustration than devastation.
MLSE boss Keith Pelley signalled change was coming at the club last October after it missed the playoffs for a fourth straight season after finishing 11th in the Eastern Conference at 11-19-4.
"TFC is a complete rebuild … Everything is on the table," said Pelley, president and chief executive officer of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.
To help get the team back on track, Pelley engaged former Bayern Munich technical director Marco Neppe to conduct a "full organizational review" of the club. The study, in tandem with general manager Jason Hernandez, covered everything at the club from the academy on up.
Speaking to Toronto season ticket-holders last week, Hernandez suggested that one or two of the Italians could be on the move.
"Certainly (they are) two players that are under contract (with TFC). Is there a world where not both of those players are under contract to start the season? Yes, there is a world where that is the assessment."
Bernardeschi, however, appears to have found a place in a more attacking role under Fraser. Former coach John Herdman used him as a wingback last season with Bernardeschi named to the all-star game.
TFC announced Insigne's signing on Jan. 8, 2022, on a four-year deal to begin July 1. At the time, then-club president Bill Manning called it a "historic and exciting day for our club.”
“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.”
Manning left his dual posts as president of TFC and the CFL' Argonauts last July with Pelley saying a "new direction" was required.
Signing Insigne was a swing for the fences, with Toronto looking to return to its winning ways. Champions in 2017 and runners-up in 2016 and 2019, TFC finished 26th out of 27 teams in 2021 with a dismal 6-18-10 campaign and has not made the playoffs since exiting at the first hurdle in 2020.
While only US$743,750 of Insigne's 2025 salary would count against Toronto's salary cap, the club would dearly like to have a good portion of the rest of it to spend on acquiring or paying new talent that does fit its style of play.
Not to mention ridding itself of a square peg in a round hole.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 13, 2025.
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
