Inter & Ivan Perisic have finally parted ways with the Croatian world cup finalist leaving for Bayern Munich on a season long loan. So what will Inter fans make of Ivan’s time in the black & blue?
Perišić started his journey with Inter at the start of the 2015 campaign, securing a deadline day move from Wolfsburg for €16 million on a five-year contract. After being assigned the #44, he stated that “Inter were too big an opportunity to turn down”.
Perišić went on to score 9 goals in his first season at Inter, appearing 37 times in all competitions and helping guide Inter to a fourth placed finish. He also added 6 assists from the left hand side, a trait he became very well known for in his time at Inter.
The following season saw Ivan reach double-figures for the first time with Inter, scoring 11 goals and providing 10 assists in all competitions. He competed in a total of 42 appearances and by this point was considered the best player at Inter alongside Mauro Icardi.
The pair looked to have forged an on field partnership, with good communication and understanding of one another, this would prove to be short lived as Ivan’s downfall and phasing out of Inter had a direct correlation with the antics of the now former captain Icardi.
The 2017/18 season under Spalletti proved to be a stressful one, but ultimately Inter reached their goal by qualifying for the UCL for the first time since 2011/12. After signing a new contract at this point, keeping him at the club until 2022, all looked bright for the Croatian. However the 2018/19 campaign proved to be the final hurdle for Ivan and Inter.
Constant off field tensions between himself and Icardi, compiled with the clubs instability at a managerial level, prompted Ivan to reiterate his desire to play in the English Premier League before he retired.
Fast forward to pre-season 2019/20, and the infiltration of Beppe Marotta & Antonio Conte, and it would appear that Ivan’s mentality and Inter’s new project simply are not on the same wavelength. A whisper of interest from German champions Bayern Munich was all Perišić needed to be convinced and before you know it, the decorated winger was is Munich ready for a medical.
So how will Ivan Perisic be remembered at Inter?
Many fans will be happy to see the back of Ivan. A turbulent time at Inter with his physical attributes and contributions masked by dressing room tensions ego struggles, the world cup runner-up will no doubt be leaving mixed impressions on the Inter fan base.
No one can deny his quality, Ivan is a world class player with so much to offer, and even now at the age of 31 had many Inter fans hoping for a successful transition into the LWB role under new boss Conte.
That however doesn’t look like the case, instead we are left with memories. A hat trick against Chievo, a stellar run of form from his arrival till the end of the 2017/18 season, and a series of anti-Juventino moments are the fondest forms of remembering Ivan.
In terms of the final curtain that left a bitter taste in our mouths as fans, it became clear that Ivan’s heart was no longer painted black & blue to the degree we would have hoped for. There is no doubting his ability, but when his output was only at a maximum of 60-70% during some domestic fixtures, the time has come to make an important and logical decision.
Grazie mille Ivan Perisic, and thank you for the good times.
WATCH: ANTHONY REACTS TO PERISIC LEAVING INTER
