Internazionale winger Ivan Perisic will leave the club next month when his contract expires. Despite interest from Chelsea, the Croatia international will join his former boss Antonio Conte at Tottenham Hotspur for the next two years, reports the Guardian.
Inter, too, remained hopeful of tying the 33-year-old down to a new deal, but he chose to leave the club upon the expiration of his contract next month instead. He will join Spurs on a two-year deal after Conte demanded the club sign him, despite him not fitting the profile of a player the hierarchy signs usually in the transfer market.
Perisic is likely to be joined by Southampton custodian Fraser Forster as the club’s first two signings this summer. Forster will switch clubs on a free transfer, too, becoming Hugo Lloris’s understudy at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, while Pierluigi Gollini returns to Atalanta following the conclusion of his unsuccessful loan spell.
Furthermore, Spurs will also activate Cristian Romero’s obligatory buy clause and sign the Argentine defender on a four-year deal, a year on from his temporary yet impressive switch from Atalanta.
Tottenham’s proactive approach in the transfer market follows reports that Conte had chosen to stay on as their manager, despite hinting otherwise at various points across the previous season. The Italian held positive talks with his compatriot and colleague Fabio Paratici – Spurs’ managing director – in Turin.
Since then, the club has had an injection of 150 million pounds from its majority shareholder ENIC, amid reports that the former Chelsea and Juventus head coach was looking to make up to six new signings to turn his team into genuine title contenders.
Perisic’s signing signals the club putting its faith in Conte, despite the Croatian being 33 years of age. The winger-turned-wingback previously worked under Conte for a season at Inter Milan, during which they won the title together, ending Inter’s decade-long wait for the Italian crown.
