ROME, ITALY (REUTERS) –
Juventus and Italian playmaker Sebastian Giovinco is set to join Major League Soccer side Toronto FC on a four-year deal.
The announcement of the transfer is expected imminently getting the 27-year-old ‘Atomic Ant’ out of a contract with the Serie A leaders in July. There has been no comment from either club.
Canadian media reported the deal would be worth US $7 million a year, making him the second highest paid player in the MLS after Orlando city’s Brazilian midfielder Kaka.
The exact timing of the move remains unclear, with the MLS season starting in March.
The former Parma player has been out of favor at Juventus under coach, Massimiliano Allegri, appearing in only six league games with two starts.
However, he scored twice last Thursday in a 6-1 Coppa Italia win over Verona, after which Allegri said the player was not for sale and had not expressed a desire to leave.
A regular in Italy coach Antonio Conte’s national side, Giovinco is known as the ‘Atomic Ant’ because of his speed and diminutive stature.
His arrival would follow that of U.S. striker Jozy Altidore, who completed his move from English Premier League club Sunderland on Friday.
With a report from Reuters
