Jose Mourinho is reportedly very eager to complete the signing of Inter Milan star Ivan Perisic before heading out to the pre-season tour, according to Italian outlet Gazzetta Dello Sport (via The Metro). The two clubs have been locked in talks for the last couple of weeks and negotiations seem to have not progressed much in the last few days. Manchester United made an initial offer of £35 million which was rejected by the Italians and they look to be unwilling to drop down from their asking price of £44 million.
Ivan Perisic was one of the best players for Inter Milan last season, as he managed to come up with a substantial return of 11 goals and 12 assists in 42 games across all competitions. Such figures appear to have convinced manager Jose Mourinho that he would be a perfect fit for a Manchester United team, which is in serious need of reinforcements at the offensive side of the pitch. Ivan Perisic is also very keen on making the switch to Old Trafford in order to start winning trophies. Even though he is 28 years old, his major successes have come during his time in German football when he managed to win the Bundesliga and the German cup with Borussia Dortmund.
The Croatian made the switch to Italian football in 2015 for around £14.6 million. Despite his excellent performances, one of the key reasons for Inter Milan to consider selling the player is the UEFA financial fair play regulations. In order to meet these regulations, Inter will have to raise a lot of funds in the transfer market, and Ivan Perisic is the most sellable asset at the club. The 28-year-old may not have much resale value and it is thought to be one of the key factors behind United not willing to go beyond £ 35 million.
Yet, the report states that Jose Mourinho is now desperate to land the player and he has instructed chief executive Ed Woodward to do everything possible in order to sign him before the start of the pre-season. United fly out to the United States in order to take part in the pre-season on July 9. As a result, time is running on for the Red Devils in order to sign him before they fly for the tour. Mourinho sees the availability of the summer transfers during pre-season as a key part of the success.
