Bayern Munich announced Tuesday morning the signing of Inter winger Ivan Perisic on a season-long loan deal with an option to buy next summer.
The German club had been pushing hard for a winger this summer after the dual retirement of Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben. They were heavily linked to Manchester City winger Leroy Sane for much of the summer, with an increase in sincerity over the past few weeks, but the German international tore knee ligaments in the Community Shield, ruining any potential deal.
#FCBayern have signed Croatia international Ivan Perišić. The World Cup runner up will join the club on loan from Inter Milan with immediate effect. #ServusIvan #MiaSanMia pic.twitter.com/gHJVZtxYOC
— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) August 13, 2019
That led Bayern to the doorstep of Perisic, bringing on the 30-year-old winger who was a critical component of the Croatian side that reached the 2018 World Cup final. Perisic was a regular for Inter all four years in Italy, making at least 34 league starts in every season at the club. Last season he scored eight goals in Serie A action, but his assist numbers were down, feeding a teammate just four times after recording 11 assists each of the last two seasons.
Perisic is familiar with the Bundesliga, having spent two and a half years at each of Borussia Dortmund and Wolfsburg, moving between the two in January 2013. The Bayern winger ranks still remain incredibly thin, as Perisic will compete with Kingsley Coman, Serge Gnabry, Thomas Muller, and Alphonso Davies for time on the flanks.
“I’m very glad to be back in Germany,” Perisic said in the official club release. “Bayern are one of the biggest clubs in Europe. “We want to go on the attack, not only in the Bundesliga and the DFB Cup, but also in the Champions League.”
The 30-year-old arrives at Bayern having played in the Champions League just once since leaving Dortmund, with Inter bowing out of the competition in the group stage this past campaign. Still, with 82 caps for Croatia and 23 international goals, Perisic is a seasoned veteran at the highest stage.