Arsenal and Ivan Perisic: Please Lord, no

Ivan Perisic reportedly wants an Arsenal move this summer. Despite his clear pedigree and production, signing the 30-year-old would be a huge mistake.

Arsenal need a winger. They needed one last summer after the departures of Theo Walcott, Alexis Sanchez and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain over the previous year but lacked the finances to purchase one. After a season of lacklustre wing play, the need is only more pronounced.

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Luckily, it seems as though Unai Emery and his coaching staff have, at the very least, recognised this shortcoming of the squad. Per the tentative reports that have surfaced so far this summer, there are several wide attacking targets that the club is exploring the possibility of signing, even if they have had little success in that area.

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The most mentioned names thus far are Yannick Carrasco, Ryan Fraser and Alexis Claude-Maurice, all of which are either solid or high-ceiling targets that are far from perfect candidates but do have attractive elements. And there is now another name to throw into the mix. According to a wide range of reports over the weekend, Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic is desperate for a move away from the San Siro and has eyed Arsenal as a potential landing spot.

There is lots to believe here. Arsenal made an approach for Perisic in January when they were desperate for a winger, eventually turning to a six-month Denis Suarez loan instead because of financial restrictions. Perisic was suspended by Inter after requesting a transfer in January and is expected to leave. But there is one major problem: Perisic would be a truly terrible signing.

He may be a World Cup finalist and high-pedigree footballer who has performed at the highest level throughout Europe for the best part of a decade, but he is also 30 years old. And that is a major, major problem, especially when reported £30-plus million fees are being spouted.

The issue with signing an older player like Perisic is two-fold. Firstly, you do not get their best years for very long. Perisic could likely offer two good years, which is not very many. Secondly, and arguably more importantly, there is almost no resale value. For a club that is living within its means and having to fund its own investments through player sales, that is a major issue.

This is also more pertinent for a team that has a lot of older attackers. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Mesut Ozil are all 30 years old. Alexandre Lacazette is 28. Arsenal are not a young attack. Adding another 30-year-old to that mix, half of which are overpaid and underperforming, is utterly nonsensical.

Perisic would be a terrible signing. Truly terrible. Let’s hope, then, that the Gunners do not fall for another.