Tottenham Hotspur have allowed Ivan Perisic to return to Croatia with Hajduk Split – and the move is making big headlines.
Tottenham swooped to sign Hajduk Split wonderkid Luka Vuskovic in September, securing a deal for the defender to arrive when he turns 18 in 2025.
That sparked rumours in Croatia surrounding Spurs wide man Ivan Perisic heading the other way.
Perisic hails from Split and grew up supporting Hajduk, even spending six years in their youth ranks as a kid.
Perisic has gone on to excel across Europe and the hope was that he would come back to Hajduk to try and win the league title in an emotional return home.
The 34-year-old sadly picked up a major injury in September, putting the deal in doubt – but Perisic has now completed a return to Hajduk, penning a loan until the end of the season.
Perisic will then sign a one-year permanent deal with Hajduk after his Spurs contract expires, with the deal making big headlines in Croatia.
Ivan Perisic’s Tottenham Hotspur exit is a ‘big thing’
Perisic joins a Hajduk side who sit top of Croatia’s top flight, six points clear of Rijeka and seven clear of Dinamo Zagreb.
Hajduk haven’t won a league title since 2005, so Perisic is returning to try and help Hajduk get over the line and end a near-20-year wait for top spot.
That would spark unbelievable scenes in Split; the supporters’ group Torcida Split have been known for their wild celebrations in the past but winning the tile this season would be something else.
Perisic is now a part of that goal and former Hajduk star Hrvoje Vejić – an ex-Croatia international himself – has now shared his view.
Speaking to Sportske Novosti, Vejic has suggested that Perisic to Hajduk is a ‘big thing’ for Croatian football and certainly for Hajduk.
Vejic even claims that there is ‘euphoria’ surrounding the transfer because Perisic one of the biggest names Split could have possibly signed right now.
Even with an injury and at the latter stage of his career, Perisic is viewed as an incredible addition and one which is causing ‘understandable’ hype.
“This is a big thing for the whole of Croatian football. Hajduk in particular. The euphoria that accompanies Ivan’s arrival is completely understandable. Regardless of his injury, Perišić is the biggest name that Hajduk could bring in at this moment,” said Veijc.
Perisic’s time at Tottenham maybe didn’t go to plan; he was seen as an experienced addition to really help Antonio Conte move forward, but Spurs suffered a dismal campaign last season.
Now heading back to his boyhood club, Spurs fans will surely cheer Perisic on from afar in the hope of seeing him win the league title and bring even more joy to Hajduk supporters.
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