Perisic to join Tottenham when Inter contract expires

Ivan Perisic will join Tottenham from Inter on a free transfer when his contract expires as he joins up with former Nerazzurri coach Antonio Conte.

Perisic cast doubt over his Inter future after his extra-time brace secured the Coppa Italia with a 4-2 win over Juventus earlier in the month.

The Croatia international hinted at an exit, suggesting he did not know about a potential renewal, before adding “with the important players [the club] doesn’t wait until the last moment”.

Nerazzurri coach Simone Inzaghi subsequently expressed his hopes that Perisic would opt to stay with the Serie A club, as speculation persisted over the 33-year-old reuniting with former boss Conte at Spurs.

Perisic took to Instagram to confirm his departure on Tuesday, stating he leaves “feeling privileged having this club in my portfolio” before Tottenham announced their first signing of the close-season.

The versatile midfielder has agreed a two-year deal with the Premier League side, who he will join on July 1 when his contract at Inter comes to an end.

Introducing our first summer signing… #WelcomePerišić pic.twitter.com/JwyyRUuJHL

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 31, 2022

Perisic has vast experience across European football, having won the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal with Borussia Dortmund in 2012, before moving to Wolfsburg in 2013.

He added a second DFB-Pokal and DFL-Supercup to his trophy cabinet with Wolfsburg prior to joining Inter two years later.

Perisic, who has played 113 times for Croatia, was then sent on loan to Bayern Munich in the 2019-20 season, winning the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League.

He returned to Conte’s Inter the following season and was utilised across a range of positions from wing-back to forward as the Nerazzurri secured the Scudetto.

Inter fell just short of Milan this season in Serie A despite Perisic scoring 10 goals and providing nine assists across all competitions, and he will now look to add Premier League honours to his illustrious haul of trophies.