Liverpool need to make a bid for Croatian star before Euro 2016
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Ivan Perisic has responded to rumours that Liverpool are interested in signing him by saying that any potential suitors need to talk to his current club Inter.
That’s a fairly straightforward approach from the winger, who has six Serie A goals and five assists to his name this season, and the Reds should take this advice to heart as soon as possible with Euro 2016 on the horizon.
Strong performances in international competitions tend to drive up the price tags of footballers, with James Rodriguez becoming the fourth-most expensive player ever when Real Madrid splashed out £60m on him after he won the Golden Boot at the 2014 World Cup.
Croatia’s midfield for the tournament will, unless something drastic happens, be made up of Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Mateo Kovacic, and this makes them a good option to back to win the whole thing at 25/1.
Only Spain will be able to compete with them in terms of the Real Madrid and Barcelona make up in the centre of the park,with the trio making 86 La Liga appearances between them this term for the two Clasico giants.
Toni Kroos is the only player in the Spanish top flight with a better pass success rate than Modric and Kovacic, so Perisic, who has scored 11 in his last 19 appearances for the national side, is sure to benefit from the quality behind him.
Therefore, the Reds need to act now before greater attention is devoted to the Inter man and his value goes up.
Chelsea are also linked with a move for the 27-year-old, but he would be wise to choose Anfield over Stamford Bridge.
Firstly, the Blues have no chance of playing in Europe next season, while the Reds could still qualify for continental competition, either through a strong domestic finish or their Europa League exploits.
Furthermore, the west Londoners’ incoming manager Antonio Conte doesn’t normally utilise attacking midfielders, with the Juventus side he was so successful with favouring a 3-5-2 formation.
Therefore, Perisic may well find himself shunted into an unfamiliar wing-back or deeper midfield role, while he could easily slot in at Liverpool, as they have lined up in a 4-2-3-1 more times than any other system this term.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
