Spurs boss Conte close to making former player first summer signing

Tottenham are closing in on a deal for Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic, according to reports. 

As per Sky Sports, the Croat was in London on Monday to complete his medical ahead of joining the Lilywhites.

The 33-year-old, who was also linked with Chelsea, will pen a two-year contract to become the club’s first signing of the summer, the report states.

Perisic worked under Conte at Inter Milan and the pair won the Serie A title together last season, but the Croatian international’s deal with the Italian side is set to expire in the coming weeks after they fell just two points short of this season’s champions AC Milan.

The ex-Wolfsburg man has scored 55 goals and provided 49 assists in 254 games for Inter, but will now join a Tottenham side who qualified for the Champions League next term after a strong finish to the season.

Perisic scored twice as Inter beat Juventus to lift the Coppa Italia earlier this month

Conte is keen to bolster his squad ahead of what promises to be a demanding season both in Europe and domestically, and Perisic is unlikely to be the club’s only signing this summer.

Goalkeeper Fraser Forster is set to join from Southampton once his Saints contract has expired, in order to provide competition to first choice ‘keeper Hugo Lloris.

Conte held talks with director of football Fabio Paratici last week, and the pair agreed that as many as six or seven players could be needed in order to ensure that Spurs are competitive next season.

Perisic joined Inter in 2015, and won the Champions League in 2020 while on loan at Bayern Munich.