Tottenham transfer saga finally comes to an end as Italy star agrees surprise move

Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of Lorenzo Insigne has finally come to an end as the Italy international has agreed to move to MLS.

The 30-year-old attacker will join Canadian outfit Toronto FC upon the expiry of his Napoli contract this summer. The deal will run until June 2026 and is reportedly worth $12.4million per season.

Tottenham have long been admirers of Insigne, and the links intensified when he entered the final 12 months of his contract in Italy.

Reports in December said Spurs were ‘closest’ to landing the wide forward. They also revealed Antonio Conte’s ‘love’ for his ability.

But Insigne will leave Europe to participate in North America, a surprising transfer considering he could still play at the top level for a few more years.

On the move, Toronto President Bill Manning said: “This is a historic and exciting day for our club.

“Lorenzo is a world class attacking player in the prime of his career. He was a European champion with Italy and has performed on the biggest stages during his club career with Napoli.

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“Lorenzo has the talent to change games. He plays the game with joy and passion, and our fans and supporters are going to love watching him as a member of our team.”

Toronto head coach Bob Bradley added: “We are all looking forward to having Lorenzo join us this summer.

“His ability to create chances for himself and his teammates is special. Having watched him for many years, I also know he’s also a player who works for the team. Lorenzo is the kind of player you come to watch, because there’s always a chance, he’ll do something unforgettable.”

Insigne has made over 400 appearances for Napoli so far, scoring 114 goals. He has won two Coppa Italias and one Italian Super Cup while at the club.

Conte confirms bitter Tottenham blow

Meanwhile, Conte has revealed influential forward Son Heung-min will be out for several games.

“It was a strange situation,” the manager said. “Against Chelsea I made two substitutions together, Lucas Moura and Son. Not for injury, their sub, but to try to give them 15 minutes of rest.

“The day after Son felt a bit of pain in his muscle, in his leg and he had a scan. Now we have to make the right evaluations from the doctors. He’s an injury.

“I don’t know but probably they could stay without training session until the end of this cycle, before the international break.”

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