According to a report from Fichajes, Barcelona are interested in acquiring the services of Ivan Perisic. While he is in the final phase of his career, he is still a consistent performer at the highest level and Hansi Flick is keen on reuniting with the Croatian winger.
A potential move for the 36-year-old could mean Marcus Rashford won’t be able to fulfil his desire to play for the Catalan giants. Perisic has a similar profile, and his signing would certainly put the deal for the Manchester United winger on the back burner.
Persic has had an exceptional career where he has featured for some of the biggest clubs in Europe. While he is already 36, he could have one final opportunity to play for a European giant. The Croatian winger joined PSV Eindhoven for a season-long deal last summer.
During his time at the Dutch club, Perisic was involved in 35 matches and he ended up contributing towards 27 goals (16 goals, 11 assists). His performances suggest he still has a bit of football left in him.
With him set to be available on a free transfer in a few weeks, there is no shortage of interest in him. Barcelona are one of the clubs that are looking at the 36-year-old as a viable option to bolster their attack.
Hansi Flick is a massive admirer of Perisic having worked with him at Bayern Munich back in the day. The German manager considers the versatile winger an ideal fit for his system. He could provide cover on both flanks and could even chip in as a striker when needed.
He could be the perfect player to bring on from the bench. His experience, dedication and versatility could do wonders for them. More importantly, with Barcelona struggling financially, signing a free agent of his quality could be a great short-term fix.
But it will have an impact on their pursuit of Marcus Rashford. People at the club are massive admirers of the English winger, who is keen on joining them. But the finances involved in signing are a lot more difficult than that for Perisic.
Since both have a similar profile, they will most likely drop the idea of signing the United graduate. Instead, they will focus the resources on strengthening other key areas on the pitch. Going after Perisic certainly makes sense because of the cost of the operation and the fact that Flick loves working with him.
