Transfer rumor roundup 6/30: Inter take Perisic off market
By Nick Pitner
Here’s a roundup of the latest news and transfer rumors surrounding which players could be joining new teams in the coming months.
Friday saw Inter Milan meet their deadline to adhere to financial fair play rules, which has resulted in Manchester United target Ivan Perisic being taken off the transfer market, La Gazzetta dello Sport reports.
The Croatian winger was said to feature prominently on manager Jose Mourinho’s list of summer targets, but Man United relented on meeting Inter’s hefty €50 million asking price.
While the Red Devils figured Friday’s deadline could force the Italian club to sell at a lower price, or face consequences, it appears Inter have met the financial fair play regulations by offloading a mix of other players.
As a result, the Nerazzurri now reportedly intend to keep Perisic, who is fresh off a campaign in which he totaled 11 goals and 12 assists across all competitions.
With Perisic seemingly back in his plans for next season, new Inter manager Luciano Spalletti has set his sights on defensive reinforcements, namely Atletico Madrid’s Jose Gimenez.
At just 22 years old, the Uruguayan has already made 97 appearances for Atleti and another 33 for his senior national team, but Gimenez has fallen out of favor with manager Diego Simeone over the past year.
This past season, the center-back featured for merely 1013 minutes in La Liga, as Simeone preferred Stefan Savic to partner veteran Diego Godin in defense.
Such inactivity has alerted Inter, who AS reports have inquired about his availability.
Although Atleti’s transfer ban complicates matters, Gimenez is also believed to be considering interest from Liverpool.
Elsewhere in Spain, Barcelona exercised their right to re-sign winger Gerard Deulofeu, ESPN reports.
The Spaniard was sold to Everton in 2015 for €6 million, but Barca inserted a clause in that deal that would allow them to buy Deulofeu back for a relatively cheap price down the road.
Friday marked the deadline for them to do so, and after the 23-year-old produced four goals and three assists while on loan at AC Milan during the second half of this past season, Barca have decided to stump up the €12 required to bring him back to Catalonia.
However, following a couple inconsistent campaigns away from the club he grew up at, it’s unclear whether Barca actually plan to keep Deulofeu or reap the benefits of his recent success through a permanent sale.
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Should the Spanish giants opt to put Deulofeu on the market, Everton would surely hold some level of interest, but it appears the Toffees are pursuing a move for Sampdoria striker Luis Muriel in the meantime.
According to Tutto Mercato Web, the English club has made contact over Muriel, who is seen as a potential replacement for Romelu Lukaku.
On the back of a season in which he was credited with 13 goals and nine assists across all competitions, Muriel was reportedly nearing a move to Sevilla earlier this week, but Everton are willing to top the Spanish outfit’s offer by meeting Muriel’s €28 million release clause.
At 26 years old, the center-forward is entering the prime of his career, and having already notched 43 goals and 24 assists in Serie A, he could be attracted by the opportunity to take on a new challenge.