Toronto FC winger Lorenzo Insigne set a Major League Soccer record with his $14 m salary when he joined the team from Napoli last summer, according to the league's players' association.
Insigne, who scored six goals in 11 matches, took over as highest-paid player from Chicago Fire FC midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri, who has a base salary of $7.35m and total compensation of $8.153m.
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Before this year, the high was Zlatan Ibrahimovic's $7.2m with the LA Galaxy in 2019.
Toronto also signed forward Federico Bernardeschi from Juventus. He has a $3.125m salary and $6.256m in total compensation.
LA Galaxy forward Javier Hernandez dropped to third overall at $6m in salary and $7.443m in total compensation, followed by Bernardeschi and Inter Miami CF striker Gonzalo Higuain with $5.1m base and $5.793m in total compensation.
Higuaín announced his retirement and played what he said was his final match on Monday when Miami lost to New York City FC in the playoffs.
Other notable players who joined the league in midseason were Houston Dynamo FC midfielder Hector Herrera ($4.75m in salary and $5.246m in total compensation), D.C. United forward Christian Benteke ($4m, $4.182m), Columbus Crew forward Cucho Hernández ($2.6m, $2.886m), LAFC winger Gareth Bale ($1.6m, $2.386m), Austin FC midfielder Emiliao Rigoni ($1.846m, $2.29 m) and LAFC forward Denis Bouanga ($2.083m).
The union released its latest salary report on Sept. 2.