Arsenal agree personal terms with £35m attacker after submitting transfer offer

The January transfer window is coming to a close so managers are working hard on strengthening their squads and identifying targets for the summer so we’ll keep you up-to-date with the latest rumours. Today, the latest on Arsenal’s pursuit of Ivan Perisic…

Arsenal have agreed personal terms with Ivan Perisic over a move to the Emirates as Unai Emery looks to sign the Inter Milan winger on an initial loan deal, according to reports today.

Emery is looking to strengthen his squad before the window slams shut this week and the boss has admitted a winger is on the agenda as we have a distinct lack of width in the team at present.

Perisic emerged as a prime target after the BBC reported on Saturday that Arsenal were in talks about signing the 29-year-old on an initial six-month loan with a view to making the transfer permanent for £35m in the summer.

The Croatian international was left on the bench for Inter Milan’s 1-0 defeat at Torino last night and boss Luciano Spalletti confirmed Perisic had been dropped after expressing his desire to leave the club.

Inter director Giuseppe Marotta also confirmed that the winger has handed in a transfer request and suggested they will do what they can to strike a deal over his exit. Marotta is quoted by the Express as telling Sky Italia:

“Perisic has asked to leave but there is no offer for him. We will see in the coming days.

“We will listen to the request of Perisic, he has put in a transfer request; we must try to satisfy him but also respect the value of him.”

Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Nicolo Schira has now provided an update on the situation and claims Arsenal have agreed personal terms with Perisic as talks continue between the two clubs over a deal.

Schira says Arsenal chief Raul Sanllehi has offered to sign Perisic on loan with an option to buy but Inter are seeking a permanent sale or an obligation to buy being included in the agreement. He tweeted last night:

#Arsenal is continuing to talk with #Inter for Ivan #Perisic (he has an agreement with #Gunners). #Sanllehi has offered a transfer on loan with option to buy. Marotta prefers a permanent deal or obligation to buy. Tomorrow there’ll be new contacts. #transfers #AFC

— Nicolò Schira (@NicoSchira) January 27, 2019

Italian outlet Libero [via Football Italia] supports this claim after reporting that Perisic has agreed a contract worth £2.6m until June and will then sign a three-year deal worth £5.6m if the transfer is made permanent in the summer. [There is no link to the article as it was published in Libero’s print newspaper.]

READ–> Arsenal transfer news

It’s now down to Arsenal to strike an agreement with Inter but as much as I think Perisic would be a decent short-term signing, I don’t think we should buy him permanently in the summer as he turns 30 next month and he’s not been the same player since losing the World Cup final last summer.