“One day I would like to play in the Premier League, I hope Inter fans can understand this”, are the words from Ivan Perisic, who foreshadowed recent events some time ago.
The Nerazzurri number 44 has been on the decline ever since, so Gazzetta dello Sport decided to analyse what led the Croatian winger to requesting his transfer in January, fully knowing the consequences of these actions.
Since he returned from his New Year celebrations, the Croatian has maintained his professionalism but has given signs of hesitation and nervousness to Spalletti, while his relationship with Icardi continues to break down amidst his contract negotiation talks, from which he is set to earn double, maybe more than the Croatian is at the moment.
Interestingly, the Croatian also parted ways with his old agent Fali Ramadani, who orchestrated his renewal in 2017, reportedly due to an argument over finances and his now cared for by an entourage, made up of his family and friends. Just to clarify, it was Perisic who asked for the transfer, not his entourage, who would of only organised the meeting with Arsenal after Ivan told them of his decision. Although, there is something to be interpreted from that information.
Fast forward and Arsenal offered the Croatian a contract worth €7 million net, close to double that of what he earns at Inter, enough to persuade the Croatian to try and force the move. However, the Gunners could not offer cash or a loan with obligation to buy, which were not satisfactory conditions in eyes of Suning, who stepped in to stop talks from going any further. Perhaps the Croatian put too much trust in Arsenal.
For the moment, Ivan trains separately and will not play in Inter’s next Coppa fixture against Lazio tomorrow, mainly out of respect for his teammates. This has been a hard hit for the club to take but the message is clear: nobody decides their own future. From Friday, Perisic will return to the group and the question on everyone’s mind will be whether the relationship can be mended even if it only lasts another four months.
