Why Lorenzo Insigne is Staying and What That Means for Toronto FC | OneFootball

Lorenzo Insigne is staying at Toronto FC, even though that wasn’t what the club wanted heading into the 2025 MLS season.

On Wednesday night, MLS insider Tom Bogert reported that the 2017 MLS Cup champions looked to move the Italian Designated Player in the offseason and offered up several options for him to leave.

Why Lorenzo Insigne is staying at Toronto FC

Toronto FC found potential deals in top flights in Turkey, Spain, and Italy in addition to a significant contract buyout that would have given him most of his outstanding money, but Insigne’s camp turned down each of them, Bogert reports.

The diminutive winger signed a four-year deal worth $15.4 million annually in 2022 after winning the 2020 European Championship, played in 2021, with Italy. His annual salary is second-most in MLS, only trailing Inter Miami's Lionel Messi, worth $20.4 million annually.

TFC had hoped that it could move on from Insigne and bring in another DP as a quick potential solution for 2025.

With transfer windows mostly closed worldwide, Insigne will likely stay at Toronto as they prepare to kick off their 2025 MLS season on Feb. 22 with a visit to Eastern Conference foes, D.C. United.

Last week, Toronto FC general manager, Jason Hernandez, spoke at a season ticket holder event and alluded to the club's desire to move on from one or both of their Italian DPs, Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi.

“Certainly [they are] two players that are under contract [with TFC],” he said, according to The Canadian Press. “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.”

What Insigne staying means for Toronto FC?

Now, it looks as though both will be back for 2025. However, Insigne has not been among the first-choice starting lineup for new head coach Robin Fraser as the club has gone through preseason in Marbella, Spain, and Palm Beach, Florida.

Insigne and Bernardeschi were brought into the club by former president Bill Manning, who was let go in July 2024. Hernandez, meanwhile, under the guise of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment CEO Keith Pelley, has had a quiet offseason so far, only signing Canadian international winger Theo Corbeanu, a player who is likely among the starters this season.

The efforts to move Insigne and the hopes of bringing in a new DP likely held back other signings, but the club is changing their plans as the situation becomes clearer,

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While TFC have had a history of spending money on DPs, their last few major investments have not paid off with the Italians, preceded by Venezuelan midfielder Yeferson Soteldo, who they sold to Tigres UANL after just 24 games.

Other DP missteps at TFC that didn't live up to their hype include Danny Koevermans, Jermain Defoe, Carlos Salcedo, Mista, and Gilberto. Even still, Toronto has had success with Sebastian Giovinco, Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore, Alejandro Pozuelo, and Richie Laryea, among others.

Lorenzo Insigne's spell at Toronto FC has been among the most disappointing in club history. / Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

With Insigne staying, it hampers Toronto's ability to invest the available funds throughout the roster as well as their efforts to move on from the chaotic nature that has encapsulated the club since his arrival.

All the more reason Toronto wanted the quick solution with a new DP.

In 2023, Toronto FC finished last in the Eastern Conference. In 2024, a slight improvement saw them finish 11th –– three points behind Atlanta United for the final MLS Cup Playoff spot ––  but get caught up in a Canada Soccer drone scandal involving head coach John Herdman, which eventually led to his departure from the touchline.

Those situations, all coming after The Athletic investigated a "fractured culture" within the club in 2023, under then head coach Bob Bradley.

In two seasons in Toronto, Insigne has scored 14 goals and 14 assists in 54 MLS regular-season appearances. He has struggled with injuries and has far from lived up to his contract value. While injuries have hampered him, his performances have also appeared dejected in the few minutes he has been able to play.

Lorenzo Insigne swapped shirts with Lionel Messi after a short cameo appearance in Toronto FC's final home match of 2024. / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

With Insigne staying around, the club will likely struggle to transition to a new era. In the case of Soteldo, they moved on quickly after assessing their mistake. With Insigne and his reported reluctance to move, that’s made more significant, as his presence adds weight to a group otherwise prepared to move on.

Additionally, there is the case of Toronto FC’s ownership. Despite the club’s history of spending significant cash on Designated Players, there may also be a new approach under a revised MLSE ownership structure, a company that also owns and operates the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs and NBA’s Toronto Raptors.

In September, Rogers, a major Canadian telecommunications company, bought out Bell Canada Enterprise's 37.5% stake in MLSE for $4.7 billion. Bell, which owns broadcaster TSN, was vested in a strong Toronto FC product when TSN had the exclusive rights to MLS broadcasts in Canada. Rogers owns the sports television channel Sportsnet and does not broadcast any North American soccer. Rogers and Bell previously co-owned 75% of MLSE, starting in 2012.

Also complicating matters in Toronto's future investment is the dipping Canadian dollar, which sat $0.70 USD on Wednesday, and looming tarrif battle with the United States that is expected to signficantly impact Canadian business.

There is also little indication of whether a new Toronto DP would be in the realm of higher-paid DPs like Bernardeschi's $6.2 million annual salary ––– seventh highest in MLS in 2024 –– or more in line with a player like Vancouver Whitecaps FC star Ryan Gauld, at $2.9 million annually.

In addition to MLS play in 2025, Toronto FC will also participate in the Canadian Championship, a trophy they have not won since 2020. All of Toronto’s games will be on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, with select games still on TSN.

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