If Ivan Perisic leaves Inter Milan, club wants a replacement

Reports in England and Italy suggest that Inter Milan is willing to part ways with Croatian winger Ivan Perisic, but they want a replacement before they move forward.

Gazzetta dello Sport said Manchester United have renewed their interest in the winger and Inter officials may be willing to talk.

However, there is a caveat to the deal: Inter want Perisic’s replacement lined up before sending him anywhere.

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That has led to speculation that Inter could be open to a swap deal for Anthony Martial.

One reason for Martial being in the conversation is due to his falling out with former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho. However, since his sacking and the arrival of Ole Gunner Solskjaer, he has found more playing time and is interested in signing a contract extension with the Red Devils.

This would be a similar deal that was proposed back in 2017 which never came to fruition.

But Perisic, while acknowledging the 2017 deal, said it was Luciano Spalletti who wanted him to stay with the Nerazzurri:

“When Luciano Spalletti arrived [in June 2017], he showed tremendous desire to keep me in the team and made it clear he didn’t want to lose me,” Perisic said in an earlier interview. “That was very encouraging, and I haven’t regretted my decision to stay at Inter for one moment. In football, the small details in these situations are key.

“Admiration from a coach like Mourinho is definitely something that flattered me. It’s confirmation of hard work and good performances.”

He added that you can “never say never” to potential deals and the possibility of playing in the Premier League.

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Another possible swap could include PSV Eindhoven’s Steven Bergwijn, of which United has claimed an interest. That kind of a deal would bring Bergwijn to United then he would be swapped out for Perisic. Or, United could tip Bergwijn straight to Inter and bring Perisic in after the deal is complete.

Perisic is under contract with Inter Milan until 2022, but he has struggled to find his form this season – managing just three goals and two assists thus far.

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