Inter Milan’s Ivan Perisic has arrived in London and is set to undergo a medical before becoming Tottenham’s first signing following the end of the 2021-22 Premier League season.

Spurs have moved quickly to strengthen manager Antonio Conte’s squad ahead of a 2022-23 campaign in which they will face Champions League demands for the first time in three seasons.

Perisic narrowly missed out on a second consecutive Scudetto with Inter as the Italian club finished second to rivals AC Milan in the Serie A final draw.

What will Perisic bring to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium? What is his role in the squad likely to be and what could Spurs do next in the transfer market? The Sporting News takes a look.

Why do Tottenham want Perisic?

The familiarity sparked Conte’s admiration for Perisic. When the manager first arrived at Inter in 2019 after leaving Chelsea, Conte allowed Perisic to go on loan to Bayern Munich because, he explained, the 2018 World Cup finalist with the Croatia were unwilling to take on the defensive duties they wanted him to perform. .

Conte found Perisic had a different mindset when he returned from Bayern, where he won the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League treble as part of a winning season alongside Robert Lewandowski.

Bayern had the option of buying Perisic but could not agree terms with him, and he became a key part of Conte’s side as Inter won the title, finishing with 12 points ahead of Milan the following season.

Only a 2-1 defeat at Bologna at the end of April – Perisic had scored the opener – cost Inter the title, which Milan sealed by winning 3-0 to finish two points clear of Italy. team they share the San Siro with.

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Tottenham were able to swoop in for Perisic because he is out of contract, and he would demand wages of around £98,000 ($124,000) a week on a three-year deal.

One of Conte’s gripes when he took charge of Tottenham midway through the 2021-22 season seemed to be the mentality of his players – he was so frustrated with their inconsistencies that he threatened to quit in an infamous interview after a defeat at Burnley, who were eventually relegated.

Starting with the Bundesliga and the Pokal at Borussia Dortmund in 2012, Perisic has won titles with every team he has played for and will no doubt bring the expectations of silverware that Conte wants to instill in his team.

While his background is significant, Perisic also remains a force present. The 33-year-old has scored 10 goals and provided nine assists in 49 games during the 2021-22 season, playing almost every game and only missing one through injury.

Ivan Perisic has reached a top speed of 21mph in European games this season. That’s higher than ANY member of the Tottenham squad.
Age is not a problem. #THFC

— Alex Mitton (@Alexmitton10) May 28, 2022

Where will Perisic fit in at Spurs?

Perisic is a versatile presence who can play anywhere between the penalty areas, making him an ideal candidate for Conte’s preferred winger system, in which he is likely to be on the left.

Centurion of selection for Croatia, Perisic will not see many faces in the dressing room who have won as many major trophies as he has, and reports indicate that Conte and chief football officer Fabio Paratici want him to influence the likes of promising 21-year-old. former winger Ryan Sessegnon.

The former Wolfsburg and Club Brugge regular personifies the high-intensity swashbuckling style that Conte wants his players to have on the ball, taking risks to run towards their markers in one-on-one situations and weighing in with punches. goals and assists.

After beating Arsenal to fourth place, Tottenham will need more numbers and quality for their Champions League return.

Perisic played in all of Inter’s Champions League games in 2022-23 as they reached the round of 16, ever-present in their games against Real Madrid and Liverpool with the Premier League side knocking them out over two runs.

What did the managers say about Perisic?

Inter manager Simone Inzaghi expressed his hope that there would be ‘good news soon’ on Perisic’s future when asked about the situation ahead of the final game of the season. Inter.

Speculation that Spurs wanted to reunite Conte and Perisic was building at this time, and Inzaghi admitted he was “really impressed” with Perisic in training, having faced him as a player before.

“He’s had a great season,” Inzaghi said, sounding like a man who won’t be happy to have lost Perisic as he plots a return to the top of the table for Inter in the 2022-23 season. “He has quality and quantity – he does it all and is comprehensive.”

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Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic tried to remain optimistic after Perisic was left out of his country’s round of 16 against Spain at EURO 2020 last year.

Dalic’s side might have faced Spain better than they did in their 5-3 loss had Perisic not contracted Covid, and Dalic described him as their key player in a group stage where he scored in their draw with the Czech Republic and won. Scotland, as well as playing 90 minutes in an attacking role in their narrow loss to England.

After Perisic helped Croatia knock England out of the 2018 World Cup semi-finals, Jose Mourinho said he showed his ‘incredible’ physique to win an airborne ball that led to the goal winner.

“Perisic is the kind of winger who is different from others,” said Mourinho, who was linked wide while in charge of Manchester United.

“Normally you look at wingers and they’re just fast and creative. But he’s also physical, very physical. Fantastic in the air.”

Who else are Tottenham trying to sign?

Spurs fans felt Conte had pulled off a coup in guiding them to the top four, and some feared the emotional manager would leave if he didn’t have huge support in the transfer market beforehand. the 2022-23 season.

Majority shareholders ENIC have pumped £150m ($189.5m) into the club, which should provide a brighter transfer window than the one fans endured a year ago when all talk were dominated by talisman Harry Kane’s botched move to Manchester City.

The arrival of Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster should be confirmed soon, and the England international should replace Pierluigi Gollini, Hugo Lloris’ assistant who was on loan from Atalanta.

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Winger Maxwel Cornet has had an impressive season at Burnley despite their problems and is linked with Tottenham now that the Clarets are a division lower.

Ivory Coast international Cornet has scored nine times in 26 appearances for Burnley and has been directly involved in four goals in his last eight Premier League games of the season.

The 25-year-old joined Burnley from Lyon for more than £12.8m ($16m) ahead of the 2021-22 season and would almost certainly be tempted by Champions League football, let alone. a return to the Premier League.