Ivan Perisic spent the last season on loan with Bayern Munich (Getty Images)
According to Fussballtransfers (h/t Daily Express), Manchester United are considering a move for Inter Milan star Ivan Perisic.
The 31-year-old currently plies his trade with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, whom he joined on a season-long loan from Serie A side Inter Milan. Despite struggling with an ankle injury, Perisic has done well at the Allianz Arena, scoring six goals and providing eight assists from 29 appearances.
Bayern have an option to make Perisic’s stay permanent if they trigger the £17.8m purchase option available in his deal. However, the Bavarian giants are struggling to come up with an agreement due to financial disputes with Perisic’s parent club Inter Milan.
The Serie A outfit has set an asking price of £13.3m for the star winger’s signature, but Bayern does not want to offer beyond £8.9m, thus, opening a window of opportunity for Manchester United.
The Red Devils, meanwhile, need another established winger in their ranks with Marcus Rashford and Daniel James being the only in-form options at the moment.
The 22-year-old Rashford was in sensational form this season, scoring 14 goals from 22 league games before a back injury ruled him out for the rest of the season.
Rashford’s absence left United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer no other option but to rely on the out-of-form Jesse Lingard and veteran Juan Mata. However, both of them have been far from impressive and it was evident in the side’s displays.
James, while doing well in bursts, still has a lot to improve on his finishing skills, having managed just three goals despite featuring 27 times in the league.
That said, Manchester United need an experienced winger like Perisic, who has already proven his mettle at Bayern, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Wolfsburg, and few other clubs across Europe.
A veteran of 141 Serie A appearances, and 133 Bundesliga games, there is no questioning Perisic’s vast experience. He is also a regular feature within the Croatian national side and was an integral part of the side that finished runners-up to France in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
To date, he has made 88 appearances for his national team and scored 26 goals, giving a clear indication of his talent. Hence, United should make the best of this financial dispute involving Bayern and Inter and land the veteran winger as soon as possible at Old Trafford.
Manchester United clearly lack depth in the wide areas – something which was evident after Rashford’s injury and who better than experienced star Perisic. Having proved himself already for top clubs in Italy and Germany consistently in the last few years, he would add plenty of quality to the Manchester United side.. Moreover, his arrival will offer Solskjaer plenty of options in attack.
