Ivan Perisic played a key role in Inter’s 2020-21 Serie A title win under Antonio Conte. Now the pair are reunited at Tottenham, with Perisic a versatile option for Conte. The 33-year-old joined Inter in 2015 and made more than 200 appearances for the club, while he has also played 113 times for Croatia.
Ivan Perisic has been reunited with Antonio Conte after joining Tottenham on a two-year contract as a free agent.
Perisic opted to swap Inter for Spurs despite the Serie A club’s attempts to get the 33-year-old to sign a new contract.
“After 254 games, 55 goals, 49 assists, 3 trophies and 18,934 minutes spent on the pitch wearing this glorious jersey; my journey here has come to an end,” Perisic said on Instagram.
“Even though every end means a new beginning it’s important to reflect back on these past years and show you my deepest appreciation for the work accomplished.
“It was an unforgettable learning experience for me as a player and for my whole family. To the team, the staff, to all the employees but most importantly to the fans: you will always have a special place in my heart. I leave feeling privileged having this club in my portfolio.”
Inter chief executive Giuseppe Marotta had spoke of the club’s “regret” after Perisic decided for a fresh challenge, adding: “He wanted to try a new experience in the Premier League.
“We were not in a position to make better offers, simply his choice was based on a different future than the current one. Maximum respect for that and a big thank you to him as well.”
Spurs boss Conte spent two seasons as Inter head coach from 2019 to 2021, and though Perisic was loaned out to Bayern Munich for the 2019-20 season, he was a first-team regular when returning for the following campaign.
Under Conte that season, Inter won their first Serie A title for 11 years, while Perisic made 32 league appearances.
Perisic made more than 200 appearances for Inter after joining in 2015 from Wolfsburg.
He has also played 113 times for Croatia, and scored for his nation in the 2018 World Cup semi-final win over England, as well as in the defeat to France in the final.
Predominantly a left winger, his versatility means he is capable of playing across the front line, while in the 2020-21 campaign Conte deployed him as the left wing-back in his fancied 3-5-2 formation.
In the season just finished, Perisic played 49 games and scored 10 times across all competitions, with Inter winning the Coppa Italia but narrowly finishing behind league champions AC Milan.
