Man United Opinion: Completing Lukaku-Perisic swap deal could work wonders for the Red Devils
According to the Mirror, Man United and Inter Milan are set to begin talks over a potential swap deal involving Romelu Lukaku and Ivan Perisic in the summer transfer window.
Mirror understands that Inter Milan are willing to bid £30million for the Belgian hitman and offer Perisic in return, which would mean a cash adjustment in United’s favour.
Lukaku’s previous club Everton would also land a £5 million windfall if United sell the Belgian to any other club, given that the Toffees inserted a sell-on clause in the striker’s deal when he made his move to Old Trafford in 2017 on the back of a 25-goal Premier League season at Goodison Park. (h/t Mirror)
The 26-year-old impressed with 16 goals and 7 assists in the Premier League in his debut season at Old Trafford but he failed to replicate that kind of form this time around.
Lukaku netted only 12 times in 32 league outings for United this season and lost his starting place in the first-team to Marcus Rashford following the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as the permanent manager.
Perisic was heavily linked with a move to Man United last summer when Jose Mourinho was in charge but a deal failed to materialize, with the Croatian staying put at Inter.
However, the Red Devils have a good chance of getting their long-term target on board in the upcoming transfer window, although they would have to part company with Lukaku for that matter.
The 30-year-old was one of the key driving forces behind Croatia’s march to the final of the World Cup last summer and his stocks have been on the rise ever since. Perisic has done his reputation no harm at Inter this term, accumulating 9 goals and 8 assists in 44 appearances across all competitions for the Nerazzurri.
To put things into perspective, Man United should not hesitate to complete this swap deal involving Lukaku and Perisic and the Red Devils should be happy with the cash adjustment figure in their favour.
Lukaku was slammed by the fans and pundits on numerous occasions this season due to his lacklustre performances in front of goal and United would do a lot better by bringing in a versatile attacker like Perisic.
Tactically speaking, Lukaku is unlikely to be a good fit for Solskjaer’s style of play and his philosophy, and it was no surprise that the Norwegian opted for Rashford ahead of the Belgian towards the end of the season.
United, under Solskjaer, have embraced a more free-flowing attacking brand of football, which necessitates the presence of pacey, sharp and agile strikers up front, as opposed to the traditional long-ball target-man style favoured by his predecessor Mourinho.
And Lukaku’s lack of technical ability, poor first-touch and sluggishness make him unfit for a style of play that involves slick passing, quick build-up play and easy-on-the-eye one-touch football.
Perisic, on the other hand, could be a great asset to United and his versatility to play on either flank with equal effectiveness should boost Solskjaer’s team dynamics significantly.
He combines his pace, physicality and trickery with his drive, determination and acceleration to wreak havoc down the flanks, while also possessing excellent vision and crossing abilities to set up goals on a platter. His ability to link-up with his teammates down the flanks, as well as cut inside with pace, should take United to the next level.
Perisic is a hugely experienced customer who has a wealth of Bundesliga, Serie A, Champions League and Europa League experience under his belt and there is no reason why United shouldn’t bank on him to deliver the goods in the Premier League.
The Red Devils need to get rid of the big-earning flop Alexis Sanchez following his struggles with form and fitness and Perisic could be a wonderful addition.
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Still only 30, the Croatian is likely to perform at the peak of his powers for at least a couple of seasons more and swapping him for Lukaku, who has looked like a glaring liability at times, should be a smart piece of business for the Red Devils.
