FPL new signings: Perisic can be superb defender pick in 2022/23

Ivan Perisic has become Tottenham Hotspur’s first signing ahead of the 2022/23 season, and will join the Premier League side once his contract at Inter Milan expires next month.

The 33-year-old has signed a two-year deal and is reunited with Antonio Conte, who he worked with when the Spurs boss led Inter to the 2020/21 Serie A title.

“It’s a privilege to work again with a coach like this. We did well at Inter, won the league after 10 or 11 years, it was a perfect year. I’m really happy to see him again. I think we’re going to do some good things here in England.

He’s living football, every minute, every hour, every day, even when he’s sleeping, he’s thinking about football! He’s so passionate. He wants to win. I like his character and I know we’re going to do a great job here.” – Ivan Perisic on Antonio Conte

Perisic brings a wealth of experience with him to north London, having played for the likes of Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Wolfsburg and Inter, but where does he fit in at Spurs and what impact will he have in Fantasy Premier League (FPL)?

We’ll attempt to answer those questions below.

THE HISTORY

Above: Ivan Perisic’s league appearances and attacking returns via Transfermarkt

Ivan Perisic began his career in the youth academies of Hajduk Split and Sochaux before a short loan spell at KSV Roeselare in Belgium.

In 2009, he joined Club Brugge where, in only his second season, he was the league’s top-scorer and was named Belgium’s Footballer of the Year.

Those performances earnt him a move to Germany in 2011, where he won the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal in his first season at Borussia Dortmund, before adding a second German Cup and DFL-Supercup following a move to Wolfsburg in 2013.

Two-and-a-half years later, he signed for Inter, starting games and scoring regularly for the Italian club, hitting double-figures for Serie A goals in 2016/17 and 2017/18.

However, when Antonio Conte first arrived at the Nerazzurri in 2019 he allowed Perisic to move to Bayern Munich on loan because, he explained, the Croatian was not willing to perform the defensive duties he wanted him to carry out.

“We sent Perisic to Bayern because he was not prepared to do the defensive work I had asked for.” – Antonio Conte

Whilst at Bayern, he won three trophies including a memorable Bundesliga and Champions League double, with Conte declaring his time in Germany a year well-spent.

“He returned with a different mentality. He showed that he has extraordinary characteristics and needs to believe in himself more. The moment he started doing that, he started to play. He can be even more decisive.” – Antonio Conte

Back for the 2020/21 season, Perisic established himself as an aggressive wing-back under Conte, making 32 league appearances – 20 as a starter – registering four goals and five assists as Inter won the Serie A title.

Simone Inzaghi replaced Conte at Inter for the 2021/22 campaign, and he used the Croatian even more – the 2844 minutes of league action was Perisic’s second busiest season in Italy. In another successful campaign, he registered eight goals – including one penalty – and seven assists in Serie A with Inter finishing runners-up, also lifting the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana.

He has also been a key international player for Croatia, making 113 appearances for his country to date, scoring 32 goals.

PLAYING STYLE/UNDERLYING STATS

Perisic has played much of his career as an out-and-out winger, with his two-footedness enabling him to be effective on both flanks.

“Perisic is the kind of winger that is different to the others. Normally you look at wingers and they are just fast and creative. But he is also physical, very physical. Fantastic in the air.” – Jose Mourinho

However, he has predominantly featured as a left wing-back these past two seasons, a role he has excelled in under Conte and Inzaghi, and that is where he will be expected to spend a great deal of his time at Spurs.

Above: Ivan Perisic’s touch heatmaps under Conte in 2020/21 (left) and Inzaghi (right) in 2021/22, via Sofa Score

From that position, Perisic racked up 0.44 non-penalty expected goals plus expected assists per 90 minutes under Conte in 2020/21, more than any other Serie A defender using StatsBomb’s model.

For context, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s tally in 2021/22 was also 0.44, with Reece James and Joao Cancelo on 0.40 and 0.26 respectively.

With both his dribbling and crossing ability, Perisic is a huge threat with the ball on the left-wing.

IVAN PERISIC: SERIE A 2021/22 CREATIVE STATS

WHERE PERISIC FITS IN AT SPURS

“I’m going to bring, first of all, a lot of hard work. I like to work a lot, I like to work for the team because only like this you can win something important. I can play several positions in the system Tottenham is playing now. I will bring a lot of experience as well, I’ve played for a lot of great clubs and, like I said, I can’t wait to start to play, to train and give my best.” – Ivan Perisic

Although he can offer a threat from a variety of positions, Conte converted Perisic into a left wing-back in their title-winning season at Inter, which seems his most likely place in Spurs’ XI.

The Croatian personifies the high-intensity style Conte demands from his wing-backs, and offers a more experienced attacking threat on the left, which could be especially important if they sell Sergio Reguilon this summer.

Ryan Sessegnon has improved in the last few months, which does suggest Perisic might not be a completely nailed-on week-in, week-out starter, but at the same time, signing a player of his profile and age suggests he will rack up plenty of minutes in the coming season.

After beating Arsenal to fourth place, Spurs will also need more numbers and quality on their return to the Champions League.

The expectation is that Perisic will be used exclusively as a wing-back by Conte, but he can also provide cover for Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski in the attacking positions behind Kane.

IS PERISIC WORTH BUYING IN FPL?

Perisic has the potential to be an excellent Fantasy asset, providing he is classified as a defender, which he probably should be based on his last two seasons.

He has proved himself at Inter to be a very dangerous wing-back in the final-third, and even at £6.0m, would receive plenty of Fantasy attention, especially if the fixtures fall kindly at the start of the season.

Will he play every game? Perhaps not at 33-years-old, but the fact he racked up a serious number of minutes in 2021/22 is encouraging, and whilst he will surely rotate with Sessegnon at times, it might be less than some think.

And if starting the potential is clear: all four of Conte’s wing-backs from his time in charge at Spurs (Gameweek 11 onwards) rank in the top 13 defenders for expected goal involvement (xGI) per 90 minutes:

Let’s not forget the points potential at the other end of the pitch, too: since Conte took charge, only Manchester City and Liverpool have kept more clean sheets. Spurs are also the third-best side for fewest ‘big chances’ conceded in that time.

So, there is plenty to get excited about then, if Perisic joins FPL as a defender that is.

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