Manchester United transfer news: Ivan Perisic reveals why he snubbed Premier League move for Inter Milan

Ivan Perisic has revealed that he turned Manchester United down in the summer of 2017 in order to stay with Inter Milan – a decision he does not regret in the slightest – and explained why he decided to snub a move to the Premier League.

The 29-year-old was strongly linked with a move to Old Trafford after being identified as a top transfer target by Jose Mourinho, who even went as far as personally watching the midfielder in action.

Perisic was on the verge of leaving Inter two seasons ago, but a late change of heart saw him remain at the San Siro, much to United’s surprise.

Now, 18 months down the line, Perisic has revealed the reasons behind his decision not to join United, and it depends more on what he would be leaving behind at Inter rather than what was on offer in England, particularly in new manager Luciano Spalletti.

“It’s true that an offer from Manchester United was on the table – I was really close to leaving Inter,” Perisic told FourFourTwo.

“When Luciano Spalletti arrived [in June 2017], he showed tremendous desire to keep me in the team and made it clear he didn’t want to lose me. That was very encouraging, and I haven’t regretted my decision to stay at Inter. In football, small details in these situations are key.

“Admiration from a coach like Mourinho is definitely something that flattered me. It’s confirmation of hard work and good performances.

“When you’re praised by a guy like Mourinho – the manager of a huge club like Man United – it’s difficult not to think about such an offer. I’m glad he has a high opinion of me. These things motivate me to work and train hard, to achieve the best performances.”

Perisic scored against England this summer in the World Cup semi-finals as Croatia went on to finish runners-up in Russia, before Gareth Southgate’s side gained a slice of revenge in the recent Nations League group stage as victory at Wembley secured their passage through to the semi-finals and relegated Croatia to the second tier.

But now the focus is very much back on club football ahead of a busy December and following January transfer window, and despite stressing his happiness at Inter, Perisic still opened the door to a move to either the Premier League or La Liga, even if it is not what his current club want to hear.

“In football, you never say never,” Perisic added. “From the beginning of my career, I’ve had the ambition to play in as many big leagues as possible, and I still have that desire to test myself in other leagues. And I mean in the Spanish or English leagues.

“I hope Inter fans understand my point of view. I’m an athlete and a professional, I like challenges and this is my driving force. What the future will bring, I don’t know. Now I’m focused on Inter, as we try to make a bigger step forward from last season.”