Last month, MLS club LAFC completed the signing of Giorgio Chiellini on a free transfer from Juventus. He's the league's second major Italian signing this summer after Lorenzo Insigne joined Toronto FC on a free transfer. Now with reports that Toronto could be on the verge of also signing Federico Bernardeschi, what better time to look at the past and present of Italians in MLS.

After very few Italians found their way onto rosters in the early days of MLS, the 2010s brought a host of Italian talent to American shores. Montreal employed the trio of Matteo Ferrari, Marco Di Vaio and, arguably the greatest defender of all time, Alessandro Nesta. Nesta, however, had the least remarkable experience of the three, playing just 31 league matches. Ferrari made a name for himself as a solid defender while Di Vaio scored 34 goals in 76 appearances.