Perisic is ‘determined to stay at Inter Milan’
IVAN Perisic is ‘determined to stay’ at Inter Milan despite being heavily linked with a move to United, according to boss Luciano Spalletti.
The Croatian was named in Inter’s 28-man squad for their pre-season tour of China and Singapore and played in all three of their International Champions Cup wins against Lyon, Bayern Munich and Chelsea.
But that has not quelled talk of Perisic making the move to United as Jose Mourinho looks to complete a fourth signing before the transfer window shuts on August 31.
M.E.N. Sport understands that the winger ‘appreciates’ and ‘enjoys’ the work of Mourinho and had been planning for life at Old Trafford earlier this summer.
But Spalletti believes Perisic has since had a change of heart.
“Perisic is determined to stay,” he told Sky Sport Italia.
“There was a moment [when he considered moving], but then he spoke like a footballer who is interested in doing the right thing for his professionalism and he drew a conclusion.”
Hard-working and direct, Perisic has been earmarked by Mourinho as the ideal signing to improve United’s transitions and cutting edge on the break.
The Portuguese admitted last month that he wants a winger who can give him more options, but refused to name check Perisic. “I’m happy with my squad but I would like to have two more players – I never hide that,” he said.
“One player would be a midfield player that gives me more options and balance to the team and our needs. Another one an attacking player, especially that can play through the wings to give me also more attacking options.” TWELVE seconds.
It was a classic Jose Mourinho goal – one built on transitions and United’s newfound ability to win the ball back swiftly and break at devastating speed.
Fittingly, two of the Portuguese’s handpicked additions were at the heart of it – Nemanja Matic and Romelu Lukaku.
Matic set the tone for a hightempo breakaway by racing out to close down West Ham midfielder Pedro Obiang as he pondered JOSE Mourinho has suggested Victor Lindelof is in a similar situation to Henrikh Mkhitaryan at the start of his United career.
Lindelof was demoted from the United squad for the Premier League opener against West Ham having struggled on his debut against momentarily. Obiang was more than 35 yards away from goal but Matic was hungry – and eager to impress as he hunted him down after the half hour mark.
As the ball ricocheted off the Serbian’s tree trunk-sized thighs, out to Marcus Rashford on the left flank, United were away.
Lukaku was soon slipped in for a stunning finish as United began to run riot in a manner rarely seen last season.
A similar interception from Matic nearly led to another goal in the second-half, but Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s cool finish was disallowed.
Capping a man of the match Real Madrid in the Super Cup on Tuesday.
Eric Bailly and Phil Jones were suspended for that tie but returned to the starting line-up as United walloped the Hammers 4-0 at Old Trafford to propel them to the top of the Premier League on Sunday.
Lindelof watched on from the directors’ box and his fiancee sent an irate tweet to trolls abusing her over his absence, but Mourinho dismissed display, Matic had more touches and made more passes than any other player on the pitch.
Playing with remarkable confidence, a daring run past four West Ham players earned one of the loudest roars of the match.
Off the ball, the 29-year-old looked to cover Daley Blind and resorted to a sliding tackle on just one occasion in the whole 90 minutes.
The Serbian was constantly looking ahead – playing it simple, skipping past players or firing the ball into the channels – at the base of midfield.
All the while, Paul Pogba rarely drifted deep as he had previously when playing in a twoman midfield and, tellingly, the Frenchman was first to offer Matic a congratulatory hug at the final whistle.
On the day a mural to the great Bryan Robson was unveiled under the J-Stand, perhaps Old Trafford has not seen a left-footed central midfielder make such an assured home misgivings over Lindelof and compared him with former Chelsea stalwart Ricardo Carvalho.
“I think Real Madrid was too early for him,” Mourinho said. “He played because Jones and Bailly were both suspended.
“I have players coming from different leagues to the Premier League and normally it’s not easy. The difference between Lukaku and Matic is exactly that, they have debut. Following a similarly heartening display in the Super Cup defeat to Real Madrid, the world is again realising what a re-energised Matic can offer. This is not first date promise; Matic, a two-time title winner with Chelsea, knows each of his Premier League opponents inside out and has hit the ground running. When Mourinho handed his list of targets to Ed Woodward in March, he needed Premier League experience for that crucial anchor role. But, aside from some murmurs over a photoshopped ear, Matic was not the signing to get most United fans off their seats when the 29-year-old completed his £35m move last month. Having already worked under Mourinho, some may have suggested it was an unimaginative move for a player who has hit his peak. But, whether it is majestically nicking the ball off Gareth Bale as he closed in on goal or dropping deep to help Eric Bailly and Phil Jones when West Ham went long, it has Ciaran Kelly years and years of the Premier League.
“I brought in 2004 a phenomenal central defender to England in Carvalho, he was one of the best central defenders in the last decade of the Premier League, but he struggled, it was difficult for him to come and adapt to the beginning and I think Victor needs a little bit of time and he’s going to have that time.