Transfer Story
The power shift in Italian football may have been set in motion post the acquisition of Inter Milan by wealthy Chinese billionaire Liu Jun last summer. It is reported that he is apparently set to go on a summer hunt for stellar new recruits (which he could not do last time) with a war chest amounting to £150m.
However, to abide by the Fifa Fair Play regulations, he would have to reduce his surmounting wage bill and is ready to offload some of his current players in the squad, one of which happens to be the dynamic winger, Ivan Perisic.
The Croatian had an impressive run with the Nerazzurri and is presently being targeted by Manchester United as a possible recruit. Mourinho is apparently impressed with the player’s ability on the pitch.
Having no out and out winger in the squad, the Portuguese is interested in signing the Inter winger who had a stellar spell at Inter.
With three years left on his contract, Perisic is being valued at £47m by the Nerazzurri.
Player stats
The 28-year-old has made 30 first team starts out of his overall 35 appearances for the club, scoring ten and assisting six goals in the process. Not bad at all for an attacking midfielder.
The player has contributed an astounding 59 key passes for his team in the league along with maintaining a healthy passing average of 72%.
Standing at almost 6’2″ the player possesses an aerial threat in the attacking half and is known for his passing and dribbling ability.
His sheer speed and physical dominance in the attacking midfield does make him a nightmare for any defender, especially during counter attacks. (Source: Whoscored)
What’ll he bring to the club?
Mourinho has had a torrid time extracting quality from Mkhitaryan, Martial, Young and Lingard on the wing. All of the four had somewhat of a mixed season with their performances and it is only natural for the Portuguese to look for consistency and quality which is already established in Perisic.
The Croat might prove to be the missing piece of the puzzle that Mourinho needs.
Worth the Money?
To invest £47m on a player who is already 28-years old and might only have two or three years of his prime remaining might not be a shrewd piece of business.
Having said that, United aren’t really side struggling financially, so why not take a gamble? They have incurred losses before but it hasn’t hurt them. Plus, they will have Champions League football, so they’ll need players at their peak next season.