Second source confirms Conte signing could retrace Tottenham transfer steps as Hoddle vents ‘he hasn’t performed’
Ivan Perisic continues to be linked with a return from Tottenham Hotspur to Inter Milan, though the latest report suggests the move must wait for another transfer to happen first.
Tottenham signed Perisic from Inter last summer on a free transfer. By doing so, they reunited him with his former head coach at the Serie A side, Antonio Conte. Since Conte’s departure from Spurs, though, there have been doubts about Perisic’s future.
A recent report from Inter Live indicated that Perisic wants to leave Tottenham after just one season in order to head back to Inter.
Now, Tuttosport has added more weight to the theory that Inter could re-sign Perisic in the summer. According to the Italian newspaper, the wing-back is indeed “pressing” for a return to his former club.
Concerned by the lack of clarity surrounding Tottenham’s plans after Conte’s departure, Perisic wants to feel like a key player again as he previously did with Inter.
Therefore, he would be willing to reduce his €6m-per-season salary – or maybe spread it over a two-year contract – in order to facilitate a return to Italy.
And Inter could open up a space in their squad for him by selling fellow left-back Robin Gosens to one of his suitors in the German Bundesliga, where interest in him remains after a previous transfer attempt by Bayer Leverkusen.
Once Gosens has gone, Inter could present an opportunity for Perisic to return to their ranks.
In order to make it happen, Simone Inzaghi’s side would then have to negotiate a transfer fee with Tottenham. However, since Perisic is 34 years old and will only have 12 months remaining on his contract by the summer, the asking price should be within reach for the Nerazzurri.
Hoddle hits out at Perisic performances
Following the news, Perisic played the full 90 minutes of Tottenham’s 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday, providing the assist for the opening goal scored by Son Heung-min.
During coverage of the match on BT Sport, though, former Tottenham player and manager Glenn Hoddle called out the Croatia international for not reaching the level expected of him in a Spurs shirt.
Hoddle commented: “Perisic, you have to say he hasn’t performed like I thought he was going to perform in a Spurs shirt.
“He really hasn’t. Great player for his country, but it hasn’t happened at Tottenham for him.”
The outing against Bournemouth was Perisic’s 39th in Tottenham colours. This season, he has contributed 11 assists, but has only scored once.
During his time at Inter before, the wide man managed to get 55 goals and 49 assists from 254 appearances either side of a loan spell with Bayern Munich, where he became a Champions League winner.
It would be harsh to call Perisic a complete disaster given some of the contributions he has made for Tottenham. It ought to be acknowledged as well that he has had more defensive responsibilities than he typically does for Croatia.
But Inter might have been a better fit for him all along, especially with the man who brought him to Tottenham no longer being in place at the club.
