Transfer Centre

Hajduk Split 'considering January approach for Tottenham Hotspur's Ivan Perisic'

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 11 September 2023

Hajduk Split 'considering January approach for Ivan Perisic'

Croatian side Hajduk Split are reportedly eyeing a January reunion with Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Ivan Perisic, who is out of contract in 2024.

Croatian outfit Hajduk Split are reportedly preparing to make a move for Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Ivan Perisic in January.

The 34-year-old ended a successful seven-season stint at Inter Milan to reunite with Antonio Conte in North London last summer, joining the Lilywhites on a free transfer.

With Ryan Sessegnon struggling with injuries and Ben Davies often being deployed further back, Perisic was a regular in Conte's 3-4-3 system, making 44 appearances on the left-hand side.

The Croatia international came up with a team-high 12 assists in all tournaments last season, in addition to one goal in Conte's final game in charge - a 3-3 draw with Southampton at St Mary's - but Spurs still slumped to an eighth-placed finish in the Premier League.

However, with the returning Destiny Udogie cementing his place as Ange Postecoglou's first-choice left-back in a 4-3-3, Perisic has been demoted to a peripheral role in the early weeks of the season.

Ivan Perisic in action for Tottenham Hotspur on October 1, 2022 © Reuters

The former Bayern Munich man has played in all five of Spurs' games so far this term, but his only start came as a right-winger in the Lilywhites' EFL Cup second-round exit to Fulham.

With Dejan Kulusevski, Son Heung-min and Manor Solomon also ahead of Perisic in the attacking pecking order, an exit could materialise before his contract runs out in the summer of 2024.

Spurs would likely have no qualms about letting Perisic go for nothing, given that they did not pay a penny to bring him to North London, but a January departure may be on the cards.

According to the Evening Standard, Hajduk Split are interested in a reunion with the 34-year-old, and the Croatian side could try to prise Perisic away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in January.

Perisic is said to be weighing up his options ahead of the expiry of his contract, and despite his advancing years, the versatile midfielder is unlikely to be short of options for a 2024 move.

Ivan Perisic in action for Croatia on December 17, 2022 © Reuters

However, the report adds that Hajduk feel optimistic about their chances of bringing Perisic back to his boyhood club, whom he represented between 1995 and 2006 before signing for Sochaux.

The Masters from the Sea are on the verge of selling talented defensive prospect Luka Vuskovic to Tottenham, who have beaten the likes of Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool and Manchester City to the 16-year-old's signature.

Vuskovic is set to remain at Hajduk Split until his 18th birthday in 2025, at which point he will make the move to Tottenham, whose deal for the centre-back means that Hajduk could have first refusal on a deal for Perisic.

Spurs have taken 10 points from their opening four Premier League games to sit second in the table behind Manchester City, and their first game back after the international break comes at home to Sheffield United on Saturday.