Many were surprised when Italian forward Lorenzo Insigne decided to swap Napoli for Toronto FC last summer despite being in his prime years. However, now we know at least part of the reason for this decision after Insigne was revealed to be the highest-paid player in MLS history.
MLS players’ association revealed its annual salary report on Tuesday that shows Insigne has an annual salary of $14 million. This is almost double the previous record held by Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who earned $7.2 million with LA Galaxy in 2019.
So far, it doesn’t seem Insigne justified its high salary as he managed solid but not spectacular numbers since arriving in MLS. The 31-year-old scored six goals in 11 games while also adding two assists.
Insigne isn’t the only Toronto player in the top five highest earners in MLS, with winger Federico Bernardeschi earning $3.125 million in salary and $6.25 million in total compensation. But despite this, Toronto FC finished second-to-last in Western Conference this season.
Also on the list of highest-paid players in MLS is ex-Liverpool forward Xherdan Shaqiri, who is earning $7.35 million in salary and $8.15 million in total compensation with Chicago Fire. Last year’s top-earner Javier Hernandez is now third with a $6 million annual salary and $7.44 million in total earnings.
