Three alternatives to Ivan Perisic for Manchester United after Inter Milan refuse to sell

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Manchester United’s move for Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic has been one full of twists and turns throughout the summer, but in the latest surprise turn it appears that it may be over.

Inter boss Luciano Spalletti spoke before his side’s pre-season victory over Chelsea in order to reveal that he would be against any such departure for the Croatian. The Guardian quote him as saying:

“There has been no more significant contact in the last few weeks. As far as I’m concerned there’s nothing more to say. The more days that go by, the more difficult it becomes for us to replace him and therefore I would strongly oppose his departure.”

If that is the case, then United may be forced to consider alternatives to add depth on the wings. Here, The Boot Room identify three players who could fill that role…

Emil Forsberg

Italian outlet Calciomercato claimed that United had dropped their interest in Perisic and would instead look to Forsberg as recently as this week. The Swedish international has been impressive since earning promotion with Red Bull Leipzig last summer, but his club are unwilling to sell.

Liverpool have already seen how stubborn Leipzig can be after they rejected their approach for Naby Keita, and United are unlikely to have much more success if they do move for Forsberg. Given that the the 25-year-old is also more of a central player, he would seem to be a somewhat unlikely direct alternative.

Willian

The Chelsea star has been linked with United before, with the Independent even going so far as to claim that the Brazilian was Jose Mourinho’s first choice target this summer ahead of Perisic. That would make sense given the superb form shown by Willian under Mourinho’s leadership at Stamford Bridge.

One of the only players to perform in Mourinho’s final season in London, he has found himself on the fringes of the team under Antonio Conte. That could force him to consider a potential reunion and Chelsea exit this summer. It is highly unlikely that Chelsea would even consider a sale, but Willian may be willing to force a departure.

Gelson Martins

Jose Mourinho is known to keep a close eye on Portuguese football, even since leaving Porto to move to Chelsea after winning the Champions League in 2004. That means that he is bound to have cast an eye over 22-year-old winger Martins.

Now an established star for Sporting Lisbon, he really put himself on the world stage last season with six goals and 14 assists in 32 games. He also earned himself a call up to the Portugal national team, where he has starred on the right flank with 11 caps including the Confederations Cup.