Ivan Perisic is a target for Manchester United
Croatian winger Ivan Perisic was one of Jose Mourinho’s top targets in 2017 but the club failed to land him because Ed Woodward refused to pay an extra £3million to secure his services. Inter Milan valued their star at £48 million, which was slightly above United’s valuation of £45 million and Woodward refused to dish out the extra cash (h/t Mirror).
As a result, Manchester United signed Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal in January which also included Henrikh Mkhitaryan going the other way. The Red Devils put their trust in the Chilean and made him the highest paid player in their history with a lucrative contract.
However, things haven’t turned out great. Sanchez came with a lot of promise, especially after his fruitful spell at the Emirates, but he hasn’t lived up to his billing at Old Trafford.
The 29-year-old scored 2 goals in 12 appearances in the latter part of the Premier League last season and has continued with his underwhelming performances this season as well, having scored only once in six games. He reignited hopes of rebuilding his United career after scoring the 90th-minute winner against Newcastle last weekend but the Chilean must improve significantly to establish himself.
Ivan Perisic, on the other hand, has continued to flourish for both club and country. He was one of the standout figures in Croatia’s march to the World Cup final and contributed with 3 goals and an assist. The 29-year-old has done equally well for Inter Milan in the recent past.
He racked up 11 goals and 9 assists for Inter Milan last year in the Serie A and already has 2 goals and 2 assists from 8 appearances this season.
On the contrary, Sanchez has been a huge disappointment at Manchester United. He just hasn’t looked like the same player he was at Arsenal. Not only has he been too sluggish and unenthusiastic in the final third but has also let the team down with poor decision-making.
One might argue that he hasn’t been able to flourish under Mourinho because of his defensive tactics but it is hard to overlook his failures to adapt to the manager’s philosophy.
Perisic could have been the ideal option for Jose Mourinho’s team. The Croatian is a tactically versatile winger who is capable of playing equally well with both feet and excels with his passing, crossing, shooting and vision in the final third.
He would have added a lot of value to the team with his superior work-rate. He does not stay confined to the wide areas but also drops deep to help out the defenders and carries the ball forward with the intent to initiate counter-attacks. In other words, he could have been the perfect man to feed Romelu Lukaku with crosses.
United have been hit hard by the failure of Alexis Sanchez. And since Ivan Perisic has come up with flying colours at the World Cup and in the Serie A, it is safe to suggest that their decision to not sign him has returned to haunt the Red Devils.