Ivan Perisic’s departure from Inter to join Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer last summer is not a transfer that has worked out well for any of the parties involved.
This is the contention of Italian news outlet Gazzetta.it, who argue that “everyone’s a loser” following the Croat’s decision to try a new adventure in the Premier League.
From Inter’s perspective, it is obvious what was lost when Perisic decided not to extend his contract at the end of last June.
The former Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich man was widely considered to be the Nerazzurri’s outstanding performer for much of last campaign, as he hit the best form of his entire career playing the wingback role under Simone Inzaghi.
Whilst the emergence of Federico Dimarco as a starting-quality option this season has meant that the loss of Perisic has been somewhat mitigated for Inter, the fact remains that they have not quite looked like the same team down their left flank.
Meanwhile, from the perspective of the player, there will undoubtedly be one or two regrets at the decision to leave Inter to try his lack at Tottenham.
Whilst the 34-year-old arrived in the Premier League with the expectation that a reunion with Antonio Conte would ease his transition into a new league, the truth is that he has not looked quite the same player he was last season.
Though it would not be fair to characterize Perisic’s time in North London as a failure, he has not quite had the same rhythm playing under Conte that he had under Inzaghi last time around.
Meanwhile, Perisic has found himself in a team who have been struggling for form all season, and now no longer playing under Conte following the 53-year-old’s departure.
