Former Napoli defender Ciro Ferrara does not think that Lorenzo Insigne would move to Toronto just for the money.
The 30-year-old Italian winger seems to be only a step away from joining the MLS side on a huge five-year contract, leaving the Partenopei after over a decade of service.
Speaking in an interview with Corriere dello Sport, Ferrara discussed his history with Insigne and the current situation in the Campania capital.
“Lorenzo I’ve known since he was a kid, I coached him in the Under-21 team, I know how serious he is. And I know that, whatever happens, he will give everything he has in these next five months. He might miss a game, even two, but it will be in the natural order of things.
“Let’s put things into perspective, there’s a club that, legitimately, makes choices, led by a businessman who has to make ends meet, and then there’s a player who has to make other choices, he’s 31 years old, he’s his own manager.”
Ferrara touched on if Insigne’s move would only be for financial reasons or whether there’s other motivations in play.
“There are other motivations. The choice of life, the desire to get back into the game, the possibility of the children growing up learning languages and getting to know the world. It’s a total change of life.
“And in any case, when it’s over, there’s no reason to find fault or to engage in petty moralising, Lorenzo gave and received, and Napoli too. Then, there were, I suppose, those silences that were decisive in pulling away. But no one should give lessons.”
The 30-year-old Insigne seems only a step away from joining Toronto on a five-year deal worth over €11m gross per season plus add-ons (some reports suggest the €11m salary is net, although this hasn’t been confirmed).
The Italian winger has made 18 appearances across all competitions so far this season for Napoli, for a total of 1311 minutes. In that time, he has scored five goals and provided six assists.
Ferrara: "Nessuno dia lezioni a Insigne, è moralismo spicciolo! Darà il massimo fino a giugno" https://t.co/mSb5zNUcQx
— TuttoNapoli.net (@tuttonapoli) January 2, 2022
It is about money because he wouldn’t be going if Toronto where offering 5m
I’m sure
Napoli have disrespected him. They’ve offered their revered captain less money than he’s on now.. Fair enough if he was 35+ but he’s still got a few years at his peak left in him.
is it me or is the title counter intuitive to the story? So is it money or not? More confusing work from FI
Was just going to write the same thing.
URL and first sentence of article say one thing. Headline says another.
Be Better, Football Italia. 20% of the content here requires an Editor.
Insigne doesn’t owe anybody anything. Who cares if it’s about the money or not. It’s nobodies business but his and his families.
Money will always rule the day. The great worry is that players like him might ‘take the foot off the accelerator’ and coast their way into retirement when they come to a league like MLS. Insigne is not that kind of person as neither was the case with Giovinco.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed…