Revealed: The Man That Stopped Ivan Perisic From Joining Man Utd
REUTERS/Yong Teck Lim
It was the summer of a big transfer saga involving Inter Milan’s Ivan Perisic and Premier League club Manchester United, and the winger has now revealed how his manager convinced him to stay put.
The Croatian was a chief target for Jose Mourinho in order to have an out-and-out winger, and Perisic was the No. 1 target. Given his form over the years and experience in abundance, the English giants went ahead with three bids to lure him to Manchester, but it did not pan out.
Inter were reluctant to sell their star player, and played hard ball with United by rejecting all offers on the table and asking for a mammoth fee.
United were never going to shell out the desired sum by Inter, and although it was reported that Perisic had wanted to join the Mancunian club, his manager Luciano Spalletti convinced him to stay.
Perisic went on to sign a new deal at the Italian club, and United were left reeling. And now, the in-form player has explained how his manager was so influential in keeping him at Inter and not switching alliances.
“Spalletti told us that every player is important and we got proof of that in the win, as even those who haven’t had as much space made their mark. Spalletti was extremely important in convincing me to stay,” he told Mediaset Premium.
The former Borussia Dortmund player has been in superb form since the start of this new season, and has helped the club gain a strong hold in a tight affair at the top of the Serie A table.
Perisic signed a deal that will keep him at the club until 2022, and he looks like someone in comfort with his decision, as he continues to rake in the performances. The 28-year-old scored a stupendous hat-trick for Inter against Chievo on the weekend to help his side go atop the league.
Perisic’s 7 goals and 6 assists this term have been phenomenal for the club, which is currently on a 15-game unbeaten run in the league. Napoli, Juventus, and AS Roma follow suit in a tightly contested battle for the domestic honour.
Written by Rajdeep Saha 
Sports journalist with stints across print, digital and television. Contribution to each medium has been thrilling. Experienced in writing for this passionate game called football. Journalist by choice and passion.