The general manager of Toronto FC, Bill Manning, revealed that the Canadian franchise decided to sign the Italian Lorenzo Insigne from a visit to the transfermarkt specialized transfer website.
This story began in the summer of 2021. Italy just hit the jackpot Eurocup. He had become champion of the European tournament against England at Wembley Stadium itself. TO Manning He came up with an idea: take the Major League Soccer (MLS) to one of those Italian footballers who have just been crowned.
“Last summer I went to Transfermarkt and consulted the list of the Italian team that had just won the European Championship to see which players finished their contracts in a short time. Y Lorenzo Insigne He was one of the few who were about to terminate the contract, “said the director of Toronto FC.
Transfermarkt, a website of German origin, stores a database on teams and players, with prices and transfer history for each of the players. With the passage of time, it was consolidated as a reference on markets and transfers.
“After looking at the list, I started to list the players that I identified as world class and that I thought would have value in the market. Lorenzo Insigne was the first name on that list. He will be a player that people will want to come to see at the stadium, ”added Bill Manning.
Toronto will pay Badge $ 15 million per season, the highest contract in the history of the MLS. The American footballer will join the Canadian franchise on July 1.
“The ability to Lorenzo Creating opportunities for himself and his peers is special. He is a player who plays for the team and you always want to go see because he always has opportunities to do unforgettable things ”, the president of Toronto.
Badge, 30, has been a professional since 2009. He played in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil with the Italian national team. In the A league He always played for Napoli, a club where he is considered an idol. In addition, he had steps on loan for the teams of the Italian promotion Cavese, Foggia Y Pescara.
From the Canadian franchise they warned that Badge It will not be the only star reinforcement for the summer of 2022.