Ivan Perisic: Why the Inter Winger Could Be the Perfect Signing for Tottenham This Summer

Arsenal may have been heavily linked with a move for Ivan Perisic during the January transfer window, but in recent weeks it appears that the Gunners' north London rivals have taken a keen interest in the Croatian winger.

Reports have claimed that Tottenham scouts were in Milan last weekend to cast their eyes over the 30-year-old as he starred in a 3-1 win for Inter over Sampdoria and, in response, Perisic himself is said to be favouring a move to the white half of north London.

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​Perisic is by no means an archetypal Mauricio Pochettino signing, but if ​Tottenham were willing to take a gamble this summer, then they could do far worse than the ​Inter man.

It's no secret that Tottenham aren't financial heavyweights. Even before the previous two transfer windows in which they failed to make a single signing, they've never been able to fork out gargantuan transfer fees at the same rate as some of their top six rivals.

And, with the club still feeling the aftereffects of their disruptive move to the new White Hart Lane, it is highly unlikely that Daniel Levy is going to be delving deep into his pockets again this summer.

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This means that, if Pochettino is going to develop his current squad, then he is going to have to sniff around to dig up some potential bargains. Given Perisic's current situation, the Croatian may be a cheaper option than many would initially assume.

This is supported by the fact that, amid the substantial rumours surrounding Perisic's future in January, Inter sporting director Giuseppe Marotta admitted that if Perisic wishes to leave then it would not be in the club's best interests to cling on to him - especially as his value is only likely to decrease over the next few years.

Once a player reaches 30, as Perisic did earlier this month, their transfer value generally tends to decrease as clubs are often reluctant to invest in players who are not likely to play a part in any long-term plans. 

Financial reasons aside, Perisic could be the answer to some of the issues that have been undermining Spurs' development over the past few seasons.

There is no denying that Perisic would be a short-term option whilst the club reassesses the current wide options they have at their disposal in the youth academy but if they are to bring their long wait for a trophy to an end then they need to ensure that their current squad is up to scratch.

​Christian Eriksen and ​Dele Alli have often been forced to adopt wide positions when the likes of Erik Lamela and Lucas Moura have been injured and with ​Son Heung-Min being used as support for ​Harry Kane, Tottenham are rather restricted when it comes to options out wide.

Perisic's record in in the final third is rather impressive - 36 goals and 36 assists since joining Inter in 2015 - and his physical stature means that it shouldn't take him too long to acclimatise to the English game. 

Anyone doubting his qualities only needs to look back at his performances in the 2018 World Cup knockout stages, where bagged goals in both the semi-final and final for Croatia.

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If we go off their recent record, then it is anyone's guess as to what Tottenham are going to do this summer.

It goes without saying that securing the futures of some of their current prize assets will remain the club's priority and rightfully so. But that doesn't mean they should aim to make strides and improve what they already have - starting with Perisic.


Source : 90min