Arsenal are reportedly eyeing a shock loan move in January for Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic, who has been regularly linked with Manchester United.
According to the David Ornstein-authored BBC report, Arsenal are interested in Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic. The Gunners are plotting a loan move in January for the Croatian international, with the view of making the deal permanent in the summer. Perisic has always been linked with Arsenal’s Premier League rivals Manchester United.
The report entails that Arsenal intend to go through with a loan move due to budget restraints, with Unai Emery having spent most of his purse in the summer itself. The intent is for the club to get Perisic in on loan in January itself, with a clause, reported to be £35 million, in place to make the signing permanent in the summer.
Ivan Perisic arrived at Inter Milan in the summer of 2015 after impressing at Bundesliga side Wolfsburg. After taking a season to settle in, Perisic came into his own in the 2016-17 campaign, with 11 goals and 8 assists in the league. Perisic bettered the mark by an assist in the following league campaign and with it came forth interest from Manchester United.
Jose Mourinho was desperate to bring the Croat in for over two transfer windows, with United lacking a true right winger within their ranks. The Board’s unwillingness to go through with the pursuit was ultimately cited as one of the reasons of United’s dismal start to the 2018-19 campaign and Mourinho’s sacking.
Now, under the temporary tutelage of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manchester United were linked again with a move for Ivan Perisic. But, according to several reports, United are prepared to wait until the summer before reinforcing their squad, with the focus being on building the squad depending on who is handed the permanent job at Old Trafford.
Arsenal are now sharing a similar trait, with no true wingers, in general, within the squad. Their pursuit of Gelson Martins have failed, with the player favouring a move to AS Monaco and the Gunners don’t seem to have the budget to sign Yannick Carrasco in January.
Perisic has not had the same impact as the last couple of seasons and could be made an expendable player. But, with Arsenal not really offering any immediate cash, Inter Milan are likely to think about what they will gain if they let go of Perisic in January itself, with a relaxation in the wage budget the maximum potential compensation they will receive from the agreement.
Another point of view could be the promise of £35 million in the summer. Perisic is now 29 and will turn 30 in February. It might be tough to rake in more than the aforementioned amount summer onwards. It will be a bitter trade-off though, with Inter Milan having to let go of Perisic mid-season.
Arsenal are desperate for a winger and might even attempt to raise the ultimate buyout clause to convince Inter Milan, who could just give into the prospect of raking in a handsome amount to reinvest into the squad. Perhaps, Manchester United could swoop in and make it easier for Inter Milan.
