Ivan Perisic has accepted an offer to join Tottenham when his Internazionale contract expires at the end of next month. The winger is poised to sign on a two-year deal after Antonio Conte called to underline how much he wanted to work with him again.
Conte and Perisic were at Inter together in the title-winning 2020-21 season and the Croatia international has turned down a two-year extension there. He was also a target for Chelsea but their pursuit was effectively neutered by the sanctions under which the club have been working.
At 33 Perisic does not fit the profile of player preferred by the Spurs chairman, Daniel Levy, but Conte has been given licence to make the signing after securing Champions League football with a strong finish to the season.
Conte agreed to stay after talks in Turin on Friday with the Fabio Paratici, the managing director of football. The manager wanted assurances regarding transfers among other matters.
Perisic has been with Inter since 2015, although he spent the 2019-20 season – Conte’s first there – on loan at Bayern Munich. He was part of the Croatia team that reached the 2018 World Cup final and started 35 of Inter’s 38 Serie A games this season.
Conte’s budget has been boosted by the investment of up to another £150m by Tottenham’s majority shareholder, Enic. Another Inter player, the 23-year-old Italy defender Alessandro Bastoni, is also a target and Djed Spence, the England Under-21 full-back on loan at Nottingham Forest from Middlesbrough, is another on the wishlist.
The goalkeeper Fraser Forster is poised to join Spurs from 1st July when his Southampton contact expires. He would be the back-up to Hugo Lloris in place of Pierluigi Gollini, who is leaving and is wanted by Fiorentina.
- Guardian
