A veteran's life reversal is just around the corner in 'Aoh Perisic'. Ivan Perisic (36, PSV Eindhoven) is receiving interest from 'Spanish champion' FC Barcelona.

Spanish media outlet Mundo Deportivo reported on the 8th (Korean time) that 'Hansi Flick, the Barcelona manager, is considering Perisic as a free agent acquisition option. Barcelona had also explored the potential for signing Perisic last summer, which is a separate issue from the possibilities of acquiring other wingers like Luis Diaz.'

Barcelona's right winger position has been firmly established by Lamine Yamal. The left winger position is also being well performed by Raphinha. Therefore, the newly recruited players, including Perisic, are being discussed only as backups. As such, Perisic is considered to be a strong candidate.

Meanwhile, Perisic has shown a steady rise except during his time at Tottenham. He joined Tottenham in 2022 under his 'mentor' Antonio Conte. However, Perisic could not perform as expected due to frequently overlapping movements with Son Heung-min on the left flank, which led to Conte's shocking departure from the team.

In addition, Perisic underwent a long rehabilitation process close to being season-ending due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury in September 2023, and chose to be loaned to Hajduk Split in his home country, Croatia. He joined Hajduk as a free agent last summer but suddenly terminated his contract and joined PSV. Perisic made a complete comeback this season, recording 9 goals and 9 assists in 27 league matches, and 16 goals and 10 assists in 35 official matches.

Furthermore, this season, Perisic has been making significant contributions on the Dutch stage. He primarily played as a right winger, recording 16 goals and 10 assists in 35 official matches, showcasing his best performance. Notably, he scored a vital opening goal against Sparta Rotterdam in the final match, contributing to PSV's thrilling comeback championship.

Perisic's contract with PSV has ended, allowing him to be signed as a free agent. Mundo Deportivo explained that 'Perisic's age of 36 might be seen as a disadvantage. However, since Barcelona is a very young team, players with leadership and experience may serve as valuable balance. He will clearly understand his role as a substitute.'

There is a decisive factor that aids Perisic's potential move to Barcelona: his mentor Hansi Flick is the manager of Barcelona. Flick and Perisic met at Bayern Munich. He played under Flick for a season while on loan at Bayern during the 2019-2020 season. At that time, Bayern defeated Barcelona 8-2 in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League and went on to become European champions, with Perisic also shaking the Barcelona net.

Although Flick won the league championship this season, leading with Yamal and Raphinha, he still desires to have Perisic as a backup. Last summer, as soon as he joined Barcelona, he sought to strengthen the left winger position and pushed for Perisic's signing. However, Perisic ended up joining PSV instead of Barcelona, preventing a reunion with Flick.

Barcelona, having taken note of this, is attempting to sign Perisic again after a year. Mundo Deportivo reported that 'Perisic was considered as an option to strengthen the left wing last year. That is indeed his natural position, but he has added strength to new rumors by playing 19 matches as a right winger at PSV this season.'

Since Perisic can play as both left and right wingers, he is evaluated as an ideal fit for Barcelona, which is looking for backup forwards. Mundo Deportivo noted that 'Considering Perisic's contract status, experience, and his relationship with Flick, he precisely matches the profile that Barcelona is seeking,' and expressed optimism that 'Perisic played under Flick during Bayern's treble season.'

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