Tottenham Hotspur have completed the signing of Ivan Perisic on a free transfer, the club announced on Tuesday.
The 33-year-old has signed a two-year contract at the Premier League club after his deal with Inter Milan expired.
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Earlier on Tuesday, Perisic announced his departure from the Serie A giants after a six-year spell at the San Siro.
“After 254 games, 55 goals, 49 assists, 3 trophies and 18,934 minutes spent on the pitch wearing this glorious jersey; my journey here has come to an end,” he wrote on Instagram.
“Even though every end means a new beginning it’s important to reflect back on these past years and show you my deepest appreciation for the work accomplished.
#WelcomePerišić 🇭🇷 pic.twitter.com/KOJlxNR8wV
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 31, 2022
“It was an unforgettable learning experience for me as a player and for my whole family. To the team, the staff, to all the employees but most importantly to the fans: you will always have a special place in my heart. I leave feeling privileged having this club in my portfolio.”
The moves sees the Croatia international reunite with Antonio Conte for a second time after playing under him at Inter and winning the 2020-21 Scudetto.
ESPN reported earlier this month that Spurs were exploring the possibility of signing Perisic and they have seen off competition from Juventus to land the midfielder.
The transfer comes after sources told ESPN that Conte was set to remain at Spurs following crunch talks with managing director Fabio Paratici.
Sources said Conte received the assurances he was seeking with the club ready to invest on new players. The club will now attempt to implement an aggressive transfer strategy which includes signing a central midfielder, two wing-backs, a back-up striker and one centre-back.
Conte has previously cited the need to add more experience to his squad, and Perisic has enjoyed an impressive career including spells at Borussia Dortmund, Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich in addition to earning 113 caps with Croatia, scoring in the 2018 World Cup final defeat to France.
The Spurs boss wants to improve his wing-back options and sees Perisic’s versatility as a key asset.