Perisic contract revelation further dampens Man Utd hopes

Manchester United could have to pay almost double what they were willing to spend this summer if they are to land Ivan Perisic in 2018 after Inter Milan explained why the player was never likely to leave this summer.

The news comes after Inter Milan revealed the Croatian, who was the subject of heavy interest from Jose Mourinho this summer, does not have a buy-out clause in his new contract.

United were thought to have tabled a €45million offer for Perisic, but the offer was rejected with Inter determined to hold out for their €55m asking price.

The interest from United prompted Inter to hand the former Wolfsburg man a new three-year deal, and having started the season in fine form with three goals and three assists from five games, it’s unlikely Inter will allow him to leave on the cheap.

And confirming the player does not have a buy-out clause in his new deal, Inter’s sporting director Piero Ausilio told Sport Mediaset: “Nobody denies that this offer from Manchester United arrived, but we and [Luciano] Spalletti wanted him to be a key player for us.

“We were convinced that our project could be just as successful as the one the English club were offering.

“Ivan never asked to leave and his new contract is the logical consequence of that. There was no need to insert any kind of release clause in it.”

Some reports in the Italian media suggest Inter now value Perisic at nearer the €80million mark after Neymar’s world-record deal prompted a marked rise in the price of players.