Former Italy and Inter goalkeeper Walter Zenga defends Lorenzo Insigne after his decision to join Toronto FC from Napoli as a free agent.
Insigne signed a four-year deal with an option for a further season with the MLS side yesterday.
He will earn €11.5m plus €4.5m add-ons and will leave Napoli at the end of the campaign.
Napoli had offered him a salary of €3.5m, less than his current €5m-a-year contract.
However, Zenga believes Insigne won’t move to Canada only for the money.
“I am an old school romantic, I believe he didn’t want to play against Napoli, that’s why he accepted the offer,” Zenga told Sky Sport Italia.
“However, I challenge anyone to turn down an offer like the one that Lorenzo received.”
Insigne is a product of Napoli academy and spent his entire playing career with the Partenopei except for loan spells at Cavese, Foggia and Pescara.
The Italy international has scored 114 goals in 415 appearances with the Partenopei, winning three trophies, one Italian Supercup and one Coppa Italia.
Insigne will end the season at Napoli and move to Toronto at the end of the season. The MLS side are expected to announce his signing by the end of the week.
🎙#Zenga dice la sua #Insigne 👇https://t.co/7rvlpd1qAN
— CalcioNews24.com (@CalcioNews24) January 4, 2022
I don’t blame Lorenzo at all. I blame ADL and the Napoli hierarchy are complicit by not putting a stop to this treatment. I hope future potential signings heed this warning. A decade of his life at Napoli putting up with high tension and sometimes sheer mediocrity to just be shafted like this.
That’s a lot of money, almost triple his wages and potentially could be much more even. It’s not like he’s changed color overnight for 500,000 euros more to a direct rival or even for a couple millions more like Kessie is considering at his young age and despite his status in his team.
So I can understand his decision. Insigne have been performing as one of their best players so Napoli can’t offer him less wages, I don’t know what they’re smoking over there. Again, it’s not like Milan offering Romagnoli less wages, because he’s been poor and underperforming for a couple of years and has dropped in the pecking order.
Also, Milan made a huge investment on both Hakan and Kessie, and have the right to expect something in return if they want to leave while still young. Also in case of Dollarumma, Milan made him a monster offer and increased his wages, but he left without paying his dues. Insigne on the other hand, has given Napoli 30 years of his footballing life. He’s given back enough, now if they want to offer him even less than what he’s earning now, it’s their right, but he hasn’t done them wrong if he leaves.
He was made two offers he couldn’t refuse. Toronto offered more than 2x of his current wages, so he can’t say no to refuse the huge payoff. Meanwhile, the club that currently has him offered 30% less, hence he can’t say yes & refuse that his time in Napoli is done. He’s not Totti…management is clearly trying to force him out (and probably will play it off as “he abandoned his beloved Napoli”). Like @Chris said, can’t blame Insigne for this.