The Napoli and Italy forward, Lorenzo Insigne, has agreed a deal to join the MLS club Toronto FC this summer.
The 30-year-old has been given a five-and-a-half year contract with the Canadian club, ending in December 2027, and is set to join them as a free agent when his Napoli contract expires at the end of this season.
The deal is said to include a basic wage of €11m a season, with another €5m in potential add-ons, and will be signed and officially announced this week. Capturing Insigne is a huge coup for Toronto, who finished second-bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference last season, with just six wins from 34 matches.
Having been on the books at the Italian club since 2006, Insigne made his first-team debut in 2010 and has become a mainstay of Napoli’s attack alongside Dries Mertens, making 264 Serie A appearances and scoring 89 league goals. He was made club captain following Marek Hamsik’s departure in 2019 and his own exit from the club is sure to disappoint many fans of the Partenopei.
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Insigne was also a key member of Roberto Mancini’s side that triumphed at Euro 2020, scoring two goals, including a spectacular winner against Belgium in the quarter-finals. He is not the first high-profile Italy international to opt for a spell in the MLS, following in the footsteps of players such as Andrea Pirlo and Alessandro Nesta.
Elsewhere in Italy, the Ajax and Cameroon international goalkeeper, André Onana, is poised to sign for the Serie A champions Internazionale. The 25-year-old, who was on Barcelona’s books between 2010 and 2015, has passed a medical and will move to Italy in the summer as a free agent.
In the Premier League, Watford have completed a move for Ivorian international left-back Hassane Kamara, who joins on a two-and-a-half year deal. The 27-year-old, who has signed from Ligue 1 side Nice, will reportedly cost the Hornets £4m. Claudio Ranieri’s side are also set to seal a move for Udinese centre-back Samir.
Congolese midfielder Edo Kayembe and veteran Croatian defender Domagoj Vida will also join imminently, according to local reports. Meanwhile, Watford have allowed Ismaïla Sarr to join up with the Senegal squad for the Africa Cup of Nations after initially ruling that the player was still recovering from a knee ligament injury.
Everton have confirmed the signing of the Scotland international defender Nathan Patterson from Rangers. The 20-year-old moves to the Premier League for an initial £12m, with a deal lasting until 2027.
