The Nerazzurri want the former player to strengthen both flanks. He is ready to return. The Dutch will let him leave if they exit Europe. And so Chivu is rooting for… Bayern.

The seasons pass, but Ivan Perisic’s life always intersects with the great Bayern. Back in the day, the Bavarian giants changed the Croatian’s mindset: they taught a lazy character the hunger for victory and the subtle art of achieving it, then they let a new man return to Milan, a winger wearing a hoplite’s helmet. Now that the Croatian is about to turn 37 (family party on February 2), the same German team can help Ivan in his attempt at a final, romantic swan song: in agreement with the Nerazzurri, Perisic would like one last dance at Inter, the team he perhaps loved the most. In order to return, he would be willing to give up a contract until 2027 with PSV, the Dutch league leaders who, however, have a completely different idea on the matter: the team coached by Peter Bosz, after putting the Eredivisie on ice, where they are looking through binoculars at Feyenoord +16, considers it a priority to go to the Champions League playoffs and does not intend to give up their best weapon on the wings. At the moment, despite the defeat at Newcastle, PSV still occupies 22nd place in the European rankings, except that on Wednesday, the formidable Bayern Munich will arrive in Eindhoven. This is where fate comes back to play a big role in Perisic’s life: if the Bavarians assert their strength on the field and eliminate their rivals, then the Dutch club could rethink its position and sit down at the table with the Nerazzurri.

Until then, Perisic will give his all for the shirt he wears and, as befits a great former player, he will challenge the German powerhouse with maximum commitment: however, if they are eliminated from the playoffs, he will press with the same determination to be released. After all, Inter immediately supported his desire to return to Italy: the management and technical staff have chosen not to invest in that specific role, at least for the moment, as they wait to see how Denzel Dumfries performs in early March. These months without a starting right-back have left a gaping hole on the wing that cannot be filled by a young talent in need of training: there is too little time, too many decisive games along the way, and too high a risk of slipping up, even more so after the difficulties revealed by Luis Henrique. The Brazilian’s choice must be defended at least until the end of the season, not least because some tactical improvements have been glimpsed here and there. What is needed is a ready-made, fully-fledged winger who can support Chivu’s attacking play in particular. Even better if he is capable of keeping the center of gravity high and tearing down both flanks, something that Joao Cancelo, the first target who slipped away at the last minute, would have done well. Perisic himself would also do well: after all, the two return targets in this session follow the same reasoning. Other “conservative” fullbacks such as Nahuel Molina of Atletico, proposed in recent hectic weeks, have been rejected because they are considered too “short.”

the candles—  If everything goes as hoped, PSV will still have to be compensated and a formula found to make the deal work: not easy given the mood in Eindhoven, but not impossible either, thanks to the player’s support. He would certainly find an open door at Appiano after leaving the club with a long face and on a free transfer in 2022: that summer, Suning’s salary cap, especially for players over 30, was strict, and a renewal offer did not arrive in time. The club was convinced to launch Robin Gosens, who had arrived a few months earlier, even if history told a different story. At the time, Perisic chose to embrace Antonio Conte, who today would be a fierce opponent at Napoli and who then eagerly claimed him at Tottenham. In that case too, life took a strange turn: as soon as he arrived on the Nerazzurri bench, Antonio himself rejected him in the role of winger in the 3-5-2 formation due to his poor defensive skills. In 2019, he went to Bayern on loan, which turned into a master’s degree, allowing him to add a treble to his resume in the year of Covid. Back in Conte’s hands in 2020-21, Ivan memorized the movements across the wing, contributed to the 19th Scudetto, and had a superb season with Inzaghi. Over time, he has not lost his Balkan grit, managing to overcome a cruciate ligament rupture that kept him out for almost six months two seasons ago. Ivanice, a Croatian nickname often used at Pinetina, still feels strong enough to be Inter’s first-choice center back. He would like to celebrate his 37th birthday in Milan once again, coincidentally on the last day of the transfer market.