It has been a rough couple of years for Toronto FC.
Having won it all in 2017 and then building back up to MLS contender status and Canadian Championship winners in 2020, The Reds fell to 26th in the overall standings in 2021 and started this season with a 5-12-4 record.
With an eye on completing a mass overhaul, all eyes have been on the Secondary Transfer Window as TFC’s time to finally turn it all around.
After months of work and a record-breaking deal, Toronto has re-tooled, with Lorenzo Insigne being the centrepiece of a summer of transfer activity: but will the Italian prove to be worth the money?
A bona fide, loyal star from Italy’s top-flight
Lorenzo Insigne looked to be a special case in European football. For years, the elite clubs had been circling the Naples-born forward, but he continued to stand by his hometown team, SSC Napoli.
Still, a divide between himself and the club became apparent, and Insigne let his contract run out, ending the season with 13 goals and ten assists in 38 games, 122 goals and 95 assists in 434 total games.
Seeing that such a classy player was to become a free agent, Toronto FC swooped in to secure a Bosman deal in the face of Inter Milan and Fiorentina, as well as bigwigs Bayern Munich and Chelsea.
While Il Magnifico says that he chose TFC as a “life choice” rather than as the biggest money deal on the table, the 1.63m playmaker now holds the record for MLS pay at around $8 million per year, including bonuses.
The Italian arrived at the beginning of July, alongside compatriot Domenico Criscito. While the centre-back joined the backline immediately, Insigne was forced to wait due to a calf injury.
In the meantime, TFC got to work building around their two Italy-capped newcomers, bringing in 28-year-old winger Federico Bernardeschi – six goals in 38 games for Italy – Doneil Henry, and classy Canadian midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye.
With such an influx of Italian and Canadian talent, fans are now looking at the soccer betting to see Toronto approach games far more favoured than it was in June, and Insigne is a big part of this – as he proved on his debut.
Lorenzo's special day 💙
— Official SSC Napoli (@en_sscnapoli) May 16, 2022
😍 @Lor_Insigne
💙 #ForzaNapoliSemprepic.twitter.com/zSm502pFSf
Insigne makes impact on MLS debut
All of a sudden, TFC can field three seasoned Italians and two additional Canadian internationals, with the game hosting Charlotte FC on July 23 being the first time that the new stars of the show could walk out together.
With Insigne flanking to the left and Bernardeschi to the right of Jesús Jiménez, TFC’s menacing attack was made all the more daunting with the Osorio-Kaye duo in support and Michael Bradley anchoring the midfield.
Seeing this new-look Toronto, online sports betting markets quickly slapped the tag of favourites on TFC at +115 to beat the +200 Charlotte. This is despite Charlotte closing in on playoffs spots, but with a terrible away record.
It was a masterful showing that laid down the gauntlet for Bob Bradley’s revamped squad. In the first half, Toronto blazed ahead to a club-record 4-0 lead; Insigne set up the fourth while Bernardeschi assisted the second and scored the third.
Both Italians were subbed off at half-time, having played major roles in the scoreline. Insigne was particularly impressive, ending with a 91.3 pass percentage and four key passes in a mere 45 minutes of play.
This, along with the audacious back-heel to tee up the fourth goal, is just a taste of what the in-his-prime forward can produce in the MLS.
Outrageous. Simply outrageous. pic.twitter.com/FDi3Q74B0g
— Toronto FC (@TorontoFC) July 24, 2022
Insigne is certainly a classy player: one with the ability to drive Toronto up the standings with his eye for a pass, team-first work ethic, flair on the ball, movement around the box, and shooting ability.
While he can play as the striker very well, Toronto’s roster lends him to the wing, so he likely won’t beat Zlatan Ibrahimović’s rate of a goal every 0.91 games in 58 games for LA Galaxy, but he’ll make a huge impact nonetheless.
Over his four-year deal – injuries forgiving – Insigne will almost certainly prove to be worth the money and perhaps even be the spark that gets TFC back into championship contention.
*Credit for all images in this article belongs to AP Photo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 25th July 2022
