Chelsea have been highlighted as a possible destination for Ivan Perisic, who would welcome a move to England this summer, Corriere dello Sport (today’s edition, page 10) claims.
The Croatian has had a superb season with the Nerazzurri, operating from the left wing-back position. He has registered nine goals and nine assists from 48 appearances.
The Serie A giants are keen on extending his contract beyond June 2022 with a €4.5 million annual package (after tax), but Perisic is eyeing a ‘concrete offer’ from England.
Chelsea have been mentioned as potential candidates to sign the World Cup finalist as they face the prospect of losing Marcos Alonso during the upcoming transfer window.
Our view:
Chelsea currently have Alonso and Ben Chilwell as the specialist left wing-back choices, but the former has been injured during the second half of the campaign.
Hence, there has been an over-reliance on Alonso, but it is unclear whether he will continue next term. With his contract expiring in June 2023, he appears keen on moving on.
In this case, the Blues could be forced to pursue a replacement. Perisic is no longer in the prime of his career, but could be a quality short-term solution for the west London side.
The 33-year-old has redefined himself from the wing-back role. Aside from his goal contributions, he has won an average of 1.1 tackles, 1.4 interceptions and 1.6 aerial duels per game this term.
Perisic could be an ideal deputy for Ben Chilwell next season. Chelsea have shown that they are not averse to pursuing experienced players with Thiago Silva being a prime example.
A lot of questions were raised when the 35-year-old was signed by the Blues two years ago, but the Brazil international has been a leading performer at the heart of the club’s defence.
Similar to Silva, Perisic has been a mainstay for Croatia until now. It remains to be seen whether the Blues make a contract offer. Tuchel has apparently been interested in him since January.
