By Dave Marshall
For the whole of the summer, Manchester United have been linked to signing Croatian international, Ivan Perisic and manager, Jose Mourinho has now conceded defeat in the race for his signature.
The Red Devils had two bids rejected for the flying winger, but Inter resolved to keep the player and he is now set for a new contract at the San Siro. The Italian club were holding out for around £48m, with United not willing to go past the £40m mark for a soon-to-be 29-year-old.
The player had been keen on a move to Old Trafford and he teased Manchester United fans last month after sharing a picture of his daughter on Instagram alongside a praying emoji and a Manchester United club logo, but reports now suggest that he could be set for a new and improved contract, as the Italian giants have offered him an improved £86k-a-week contract, but he is demanding around £104k-a-week.
Speaking ahead of the European Super Cup after being asked about Perisic moving to the Theatre of Dreams, Mourinho was effusive in his praise for the Italian club, admitting that the club did all they could do to keep one of their best players.
Mourinho said: “That’s football. “If I was playing against Inter tomorrow I’d want to win.
“They’re strong, they put up a good defence to keep someone who’s an important player for them,” he was quoted as saying via Daily Express.
That’s football. Perisic was fantastic for Inter last season, as his levels of consistency never dropped in spite of the team’s peculiar shortcomings. Inter finished a lowly seventh on the Serie A table, outside the European places, but have looked very well-drilled under new manager, Luciano Spaletti.
Perisic is a classy winger known for his crossing ability, direct running and ability to beat players for pace. He joined the 2010 Champions League winners back in 2015 and has scored 18 league goals in 70 matches in that time.