Paul Merson heaps praise on new Tottenham man Ivan Perisic; names most important trait
Paul Merson has given a glowing reference of recent Tottenham signing Ivan Perisic, saying he is a ‘huge fan’ of the 33-year-old.
Perisic is a serial winner, having lifted trophies at Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan. He will help to bring a winning attitude to Tottenham, who are looking to end their trophy drought under the guidance of Antonio Conte.
The Italian boss was integral in getting Tottenham to win the race for Perisic. The pair worked together at Inter and won the Serie A title in 2020-21.
Perisic is a shrewd signing from the north London club. He won’t cost a transfer fee as he is set to join upon the expiry of his Inter contract. The wide man’s move to Spurs will go through on Friday July 1.
Perisic usually played as a winger earlier in his career. But he now mainly operates as a left wing-back or left midfielder, which fits in perfectly with Conte’s 3-4-3 system.
During an interview with Sportskeeda, Merson spoke about some of the Premier League’s best signings so far.
He thinks Perisic is up there. And the pundit went on to laud Perisic’s work ethic.
“I’m a huge fan of Ivan Perisic, he’s a top player who works as hard as anybody else on the pitch,” Merson said.
Ivan Perisic backed to become a ‘great signing’
“For every young kid who wants to be a professional footballer – watch this player and see how he makes things happen on the pitch.
“He sets the tone with his work ethic and professionalism and will turn out to be a great signing for Tottenham.”
Perisic is past his prime at 33 years old, although Spurs should be able to get a couple of years of top-class football out of him.
The Croatia international will rival Sergio Reguilon and Ryan Sessegnon for a starting spot at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Despite Reguilon currently being first choice, Conte could turn to Perisic in the biggest matches. That’s because he has the knowledge of how to mark, and also trouble, top players.
Meanwhile, Spurs are on the verge of capturing Richarlison from Everton, despite a late charge from a top-six rival.
