Journalist Ryan Taylor has been discussing Ivan Perisic’s maiden season with Tottenham Hotspur, and has some ideas about why the Croatian may have struggled to live up to expectations.
Perisic joined Tottenham on a free transfer last summer after his contract with Inter Milan expired. The player reunited with his former coach, Antonio Conte, in North London and there were high hopes for the signing.
The 34-year-old has plenty of experience at the very top of the game, having won the Champions League, various league titles, and making it to a World Cup final with Croatia.
Perisic has been a regular starter for Spurs this year, and has racked up 39 appearances in all competitions for the Lilywhites, with 11 assists and one goal over the course of the season (Transfermarkt).
However, it has been suggested that Perisic has not lived up to the hype and there’s even been talk of him returning to Inter Milan in the summer (InterLive).
Speaking to GiveMeSport, Ryan Taylor has attempted to get to the bottom of the supposed problems with Perisic’s first season at Spurs.
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He said: “I feel like there are all sorts of different contributing factors.
“Conte did like to rotate as well; he also liked Ben Davies, which prevented him [Perisic] from playing regularly. Davies, in the early part of the season, was playing at wing-back.
“I know [Davies] dropped into the back three at the end, but it has been underwhelming [from Perisic]; I feel like Tottenham fans will feel the same on that.
“They expected more from Perisic, he was a great signing at the time on a free transfer, but it just hasn’t worked out.”
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I’ve been reasonably happy with Perisic on the whole but it’s fair to say he hasn’t exactly set the world alight.
We are talking about a serial winner here who has achieved great things, but sadly he hasn’t been able to lift Spurs this year.
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