Niko Kranjcar believes that Tottenham Hotspur have made a shrewd signing having made Ivan Perisic their first arrival of the summer transfer window.
The Croatian international made the move to north London on a free transfer having seen his contract at Inter Milan come to an end and decided to reunite with former boss Antonio Conte in England.
Kranjcar, who played more than 70 appearances in all competitions for Spurs between 2009 and 2012 (transfermarkt).
The 37-year-old has first-hand experience of playing alongside Perisic for Croatia at international level.
Kranjcar believes that Perisic will swiftly adapt to the Premier League given his previous experience of playing under Conte at Inter and has all of the attributes to be a success in the English top flight.
He told the official Spurs site when asked what Spurs fans can expect to see from the 33-year-old: “Everything,” he said with a smile. “I think everything that they expect and believe he will bring, they will get with him.
“First of all, he is joining a manager that has worked with him before and knows everything about him and vice versa. And then I don’t think there is much for him to adapt to once he has settled in with his new team-mates and the style of play that Antonio Conte wants him to play, which he is already familiar with. I really don’t think or expect he will take long to adapt to the Premier League.
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“I must admit, for me, along with Luka (Modric), he is probably the biggest reason that the Croatian national team has had the success it has had because his goals, assists and his ability to make a difference in the final third is something that the team has relied on. He is a proven threat in the final third. He is quick with both feet. His strike is phenomenal with both feet. He has a great physique. He is a true professional and, to be fair, I can’t think of anything that would hinder him from showing all of his qualities at Spurs and in the Premier League.
“He adapted really well to playing wingback at Internazionale, which isn’t his natural position. Of course, in my opinion, his best position is at left wing, cutting inside, but he can go both ways because he is so good with both feet. But to adapt to play at wingback and the way he did it for Inter in the latter part of his career proves not only what a great skill set he has but also his mentality and willingness to do things for the team – and that only speaks volumes about his physique and fitness levels, which are phenomenal. He is an all-round player that really doesn’t have much of a weakness.”
SpursWeb Opinion
Despite his age, Spurs have recruited a ready-made player who has vast experience and can hit the ground running at Tottenham.
His versatility is also a big bonus and will be a big success at left wing-back, while also being something of a mentor to Ryan Sessegnon.
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