Ange Postecoglou has practically guaranteed that Ivan Perisic will not remain with Tottenham at the conclusion of the season, stating: ‘He’s unlikely to play for us again.’
Perisic’s contract runs out this summer, and he is not expected to return to the field until then as he recuperates from an ACL injury sustained in September.
The widely experienced veteran was anticipated to play a pivotal role in Spurs’ season, with his vast experience and winning mindset potentially boosting Postecoglou’s rebuilding efforts.
Regrettably, he only made six appearances this season, and according to his manager’s comments, his participation in the 2-1 triumph over Sheffield United will mark his final match for the club.
During his pre-match press conference ahead of Friday’s FA Cup match against Burnley, Postecoglou was questioned about Perisic’s potential return this season, to which he replied: ‘No, he’s working hard to be fair to Ivan. He’s obviously got some national team commitments he wants to get back to as soon as possible.
‘Again, he’s been a significant loss for us. I thought this year he was going to be a really significant contributor because of his experience and we saw that in the first few games because of the way he impacted games.
‘But yeah, he won’t… he’s unlikely to play for us again.’
As Postecoglou suggests, Perisic is aiming to recover in time to participate in the Euro 2024 with Croatia, which will mark the last major international tournament for the former Inter Milan and Bayern Munich star.
Nevertheless, given that he turns 35 in February, it was always improbable that his contract would be renewed at Tottenham.
Perisic arrived in north London on a free transfer in the summer of 2022, reuniting with Antonio Conte in the process, and it seems that he will conclude his career at Spurs with one goal and 14 assists in 50 games.
Another player whose time at Tottenham seems to be coming to an end is Eric Dier, who has fallen far down the pecking order and is also out of contract this summer.
However, the 29-year-old England defender may depart before then, with reports suggesting that Bayern Munich has renewed their interest in him.
