<p>Ivan Perisic’s return to Hajduk Split was supposed to be a homecoming filled with hope, passion, and the prospect of achieving a lifelong dream. However, what began as a heartwarming story of a local hero returning to his roots has quickly turned into a tense and unexpected saga. </p>



<p>After just eight appearances for the club, the Croatian international is set to leave Hajduk Split. He only just signed with the club in January 2024. The sudden development has shocked fans and sparked rumors of a potential move to Barcelona.</p>



<p>The veteran’s decision to <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/ivan-perisic-set-for-surprising-destination-once-ending-spurs-deal-20230706-WST-441492.html">return to Hajduk Split in January</a> was seen as a sentimental and strategic move. He has a career that took him to top clubs across Europe, including Borussia Dortmund, Inter, Bayern, and Tottenham. Nonetheless, the 35-year-old winger returned to the club where it all began for him. Perisic first joined Hajduk as an 11-year-old in 2000. He rose through the youth ranks before embarking on an illustrious career abroad.</p>



<p>However, his return to Stadion Poljud did not go as planned. Having joined the club while recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, the 35-year-old did not make his first appearance until April 2024. Despite high hopes, he was only able to feature in eight matches for Hajduk before announcing his intention to leave. The winger was notably absent from the squad for the club’s recent league clash against NK Lokomotiva.</p>



<h2>Club confirms exit amid tense situation</h2>



<p>Hajduk’s coach, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/ex-milan-boss-gennaro-gattuso-lands-surprise-job-in-croatia/">Gennaro Gattuso</a>, confirmed the news that Perisic had informed him of his desire to leave the club nearly three weeks ago. “Ivan came to my office and informed me of his desire to leave the club 20 days ago,” he said. This announcement took the Whites’ fan base by surprise, leading to a wave of criticism and disappointment.</p>



<p>Fans, who had long campaigned for Perisic’s return, were quick to express their frustration on social media. They accused him of using the club as a temporary stop to rehabilitate his injury in time for Euro 2024. In response to the backlash, Hajduk’s sporting director, Nikola Kalinic, issued a statement aimed at calming the situation.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20240814_WST_522482_Flick-Barcelona-1200x675_7a36c0f6.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="" class="wp-image-522604" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/08/Flick-Barcelona-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/08/Flick-Barcelona-300x169.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/08/Flick-Barcelona-768x432.jpg 768w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/08/Flick-Barcelona-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/08/Flick-Barcelona.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></figure>



<p>“We regret that an atmosphere has developed which has had a particularly negative impact on the club; especially on Ivan and his family, who have undeservedly faced numerous difficulties,” <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-nK19YIpVI/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=f0a40de0-23ef-4f91-8d98-33591769d7b8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kalinic said</a>. He acknowledged that it was always understood that the player might only stay until the end of the summer. Recent disagreements led to a mutual decision to part ways. In the next few days, the club will determine whether the departure will be a mutual contract termination or a transfer.</p>



<h2>Can Barcelona give Ivan Perisic a new destination?</h2>



<p>Amid the turmoil in Split, rumors have emerged linking Perisic with a move to Barcelona. According to reports from Croatian outlet <a href="https://www.24sata.hr/sport/nevjerojatna-prica-oko-perisica-rekao-gattusu-da-odlazi-jer-su-ga-zvali-da-dode-u-barcelonu-998971" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>24Sata</em></a>, the Catalan giants have expressed genuine interest in signing the experienced winger. It’s no secret that the Blaugrana are in the market for a new winger. However, their top target, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/is-barcelona-signing-nico-williams/">Nico Williams</a>, has remained out of reach owing to stalling talks with Athletic Club. As a result, the club has turned its attention to <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/barca-turns-to-plan-b-as-nico-williams-set-for-athletic-stay/">alternative options</a>, including Perisic.</p>



<p>Despite being 35 years old, the Croat remains a highly regarded player, having shown his qualities during <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/uefa-european-championship-tv-schedule/">Euro 2024</a>. His vast experience in Europe’s top leagues, coupled with his versatility on the wing, makes him an attractive option for Barcelona. Additionally, Perisic has previously worked with <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/barca-eyeing-flick-in-potential-reunion-with-star-striker/">Hansi Flick</a> during their time together at Bayern Munich, further fueling speculation of a reunion.</p>



<p>Perisic himself has not dismissed the possibility of a move to the La Liga giants. In a statement to Dalmatinski Portal, he expressed his disappointment with how his time at Hajduk ended. Yet, he also hinted at his willingness to explore new opportunities. “I came to Hajduk in the hope that together we will realize our dream and take the title,” <a href="https://dalmatinskiportal.hr/sport/razgovor-s-povodom-ivan-perisic--od-kad-znam-za-sebe--gledam-u-hajduk-kao-nesto-veliko-i-tako-cu-se-ponasati-u-trenutku-koji-je-izuzetno-tezak-za-mene-i-moju-obitelj/211671?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3cUdD646Uof2KtI4q9yrEXWE8tBgnKz0keqVZ-cNkh3vvA_cQYiGI2Zk8_aem_gVAjCdFSSddov0VVsVK68Q" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Perisic said</a>. He explained that despite having lucrative offers from clubs in Saudi Arabia, MLS, and Qatar, he chose Hajduk out of a desire to help his boyhood club.</p>



<p><em>PHOTOS: IMAGO</em>.</p>

Flick reunion? Perisic considers Barcelona after Hajduk exit

Ivan Perisic has left Hajduk Split, and one of his former coaches is petitioning to bring the Croatian to Barcelona this summer.


<p>Tottenham Hotspur has revealed that Ivan Perisic has suffered a season-ending injury in training this week. The unfortunate news now most likely means that the versatile midfielder has potentially played his final game with the club. Perisic’s current contract at Spurs expires in June 2024.</p>



<p>“We can confirm that Ivan Perisic has suffered a complex Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury in his right knee,” the club said in a <a href="https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/2023/september/perisic-suffers-acl-injury/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement</a> released on Wednesday. “The experienced <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/nations/croatia-national-team-tv-schedule/">Croatia</a> international sustained the injury in non-contact training and will undergo surgery. Ivan will then commence his rehabilitation with our medical staff and is expected to be sidelined for the remainder of the season.”</p>



<h2>Perisic training injury ends</h2>



<p><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/tottenham-tv-schedule/">Spurs</a> signed Perisic in the summer of 2022 as a free agent. The winger or wing-back played 50 total matches for the north London outfit in the last 13 months. He managed to score one goal but also added 14 assists during his time with the club. </p>



<p>Perisic has featured in all five of the team’s <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/premier-league-tv-schedule/">Premier League</a> fixtures this season, all as a second-half substitute. The veteran grabbed an assist in his club’s epic comeback <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN__Xxf__Ns" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">victory against Sheffield United</a> last weekend.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We can confirm that Ivan Perisic has suffered a complex Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury in his right knee.<br><br>The experienced Croatia international sustained the injury in non-contact training and will undergo surgery.<br><br>Wishing you well in your recovery, Ivan 💪 <a href="https://t.co/U9BMv2U7Kb">pic.twitter.com/U9BMv2U7Kb</a></p>— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpursOfficial/status/1704465577715102067?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 20, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<h2>Perisic almost moved away from north London</h2>



<p>New Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou has regularly opted for either Son Heung-min or Manor Solomon in Perisic’s preferred left-wing position. This helped fuel rumors that the Croatian midfielder would depart the club this past summer. </p>



<p>Some <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/ivan-perisic-set-for-surprising-destination-once-ending-spurs-deal-20230706-WST-441492.html">reports claimed</a> Perisic and Spurs would terminate his contract so he could move to a Croatian club. However, this obviously did not occur prior to the midfielder’s significant injury.</p>



<p>Spurs have gotten off to a flying start during the early stages of the 2023/24 Premier League season. Postecoglou has brought an exciting style of play to the team despite selling his best player, Harry Kane, to <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/bayern-munich-tv-schedule/">Bayern Munich</a>. Spurs have already racked up 13 league goals, which is currently third-most in the top flight.</p>



<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO &amp; PA Images</em></p>


Perisic suffers season-ending ACL injury in Spurs training

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Ivan Perisic has suffered a serious ACL injury during training, likely ending his time with the club.

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Flick reunion? Perisic considers Barcelona after Hajduk exit

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Perisic suffers season-ending ACL injury in Spurs training