Although it is not unusual to retire at this age, he remains popular. Ivan Perišić (36, PSV Eindhoven) is attracting interest from 'Spanish champions' FC Barcelona.

Mundo Deportivo reported on the 8th (Korean time) that "Xavi Hernández, Barcelona's manager, is considering Perišić as a free agent acquisition option. Barcelona had already looked into the potential of signing Perišić last summer, separate from the possibilities of acquiring other wingers like Luis Díaz."

The media noted that "A few weeks ago, Barcelona's Deco, sports director, emphasized the need to strengthen the winger position to replace Raphinha and Lamine Yamal. He mentioned that the team is aiming for three or four new signings for next season."

One of those is veteran Perišić. According to the German outlet Bild, Manager Hernández is interested in Perišić, whose contract with PSV expires this summer. He is marked as a backup for right winger Yamal.

Mundo Deportivo highlighted that "Perišić, at 36 years old, may be seen as a drawback. However, since Barcelona is a very young team, players with leadership and experience can serve as valuable balance. He will likely come to clearly understand his role as a substitute."

Perišić also has a connection with Manager Hernández. He played under Hernández's guidance for one season while on loan at Bayern Munich during the 2019-2020 season. At that time, Bayern defeated Barcelona 8-2 in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals and went on to win the European championship, with Perišić also scoring against Barcelona.

Manager Hernández is hoping to work with Perišić once again. Last summer, right after taking over Barcelona, he sought to strengthen the left winger position and pushed to acquire Perišić. However, Perišić joined PSV instead of Barcelona, missing out on reuniting with Hernández.

Perišić has also performed exceptionally well on the Dutch stage. He primarily played as a right winger, recording 16 goals and 10 assists in 35 official matches. Notably, he scored a crucial opening goal against Sparta Rotterdam in the final match, contributing to PSV's thrilling comeback victory.

Thanks to that, PSV secured a 3-1 victory in the last game, surpassing Ajax to become Eredivisie champions for the second consecutive year. This marks their 26th league title. The Eredivisie stated, "PSV's victory is the 11th of this century. No team has lifted more trophies than Eindhoven since 2001. Ajax has won 9 times during the same period."

Barcelona, having taken notice of this, is attempting to sign Perišić again after a year. Mundo Deportivo reported that "Perišić was considered last year as an option to strengthen the left wing. While that is his natural position, he has played 19 matches on the right wing this season, adding to the speculation of a new transfer."

Furthermore, the media stated, "Considering Perišić's contract status, experience, and relationship with Hernández, he fits perfectly into the profile Barcelona is looking for." They added that "Perišić played under Manager Hernández during Bayern's treble season. He scored against Barcelona in the infamous 8-2 match in the 2019-2020 season."

Perišić has been thriving since leaving Tottenham. In 2022, he followed his 'teacher' Antonio Conte to Tottenham. However, he struggled to perform as expected due to overlapping movements with Son Heung-min on the left side, and the situation escalated to the point of Conte leaving the team after making bombshell statements.

Additionally, Perišić underwent long-term rehabilitation due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury in September 2023, and he chose to go on loan to Hajduk Split in his home country of Croatia. He joined Hajduk on a free transfer last summer but abruptly terminated his contract before joining PSV. Now, Perišić has made a complete comeback, recording 9 goals and 9 assists in 27 league matches and 16 goals and 10 assists in 35 official matches this season.

Now, Perišić is receiving love calls from Barcelona. If he does join Barcelona, it would be his first time playing in La Liga.

Mundo Deportivo pointed out that "La Liga is the only league among the top five in Europe where Perišić has not played. He has already competed in the Bundesliga (Bayern, Dortmund, Wolfsburg), Serie A (Inter), and the Premier League (Tottenham)."

[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited), PSV, Michael Tuck’s Football, ESPN, Tottenham social media.

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