Bayern Munich decide against signing Ivan Perisic

Bayern Munich will not be signing Ivan Perisic permanently from Inter Milan.

Few Bayern Munich players played their last game when they featured against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final two weeks ago. Thiago Alcantara and Javi Martinez are going to leave this summer, while Philippe Coutinho and Alvaro Odriozola were returning to their parent clubs. The future of Ivan Perisic was uncertain as Die Roten wanted to sign permanently.

The Croatian forward joined the club on a one-year loan deal, but the club reportedly wanted to keep him after an impressive campaign. However, that hope has diminished as Hansi Flick confirmed on Wednesday that Perisic would be going back to Inter Milan.

The German club released a statement saying that Perisic is going back to his parent club. The European Champions reportedly had an option to sign Perisic for €20 million, but that option expired after the lockdown. Die Roten submitted the first bid for Perisic last week, but Inter wanted a much higher fee.

Perisic would have been a smart acquisition for Bayern. The Croatian forward had a stop-start campaign in Bavaria, but he still ended up with a decent number of goal contributions. He delivered big performances against Barcelona and Lyon in the latter stages of the Champions League last month.

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The Croatian winger was able to play on either flank, and his work rate was second to none on the pitch. Perisic could also be used in the wing-back role if needed. His ability to deliver in big games would have been handy since Die Roten currently have very young profiles.

Flick has been vocal about having depth in the squad for the congested fixture list next season. The German manager has previously insisted that he wants four wingers in the first team. It will be interesting to see whether Rekordmeister looks at the loan market or make a permanent signing to grant Flick’s request.

On one hand, new arrival could be needed to replace Perisic. On the other hand, Die Roten might be hoping that promising forwards from youth ranks fill the void left by the Croatia international. Joshua Zirkzee and Oliver Batista-Meier can also play on the flanks. Flick has been good at improving young talent, so it will not be a surprise seeing these two youngsters getting more playing time after Perisic’s departure.

Perisic’s next destination is not yet clear. He reported to training at Inter on Wednesday.  For being an integral part of an extraordinary campaign, Perisic will always be fondly remembered by the Bavarian faithful.