Ivan Perisic confirms “an offer from Manchester United was on the table and I was close to leaving Inter, but I decided to stay.”
The rumours swirled around for months over the summer, with a reported €50m price-tag on the Croatian winger.
“It's true that an offer from Manchester United was on the table and I was close to leaving Inter,” Perisic told FourFourTwo magazine.
“But I decided to stay and, as I said, Luciano Spalletti's perseverance to keep me played a big role. In football, small details in these situations are key.
“Admiration from a Coach like Jose Mourinho is definitely something that flattered me. It's confirmation of hard work and good performances.
“When you're praised by a guy like Mourinho - the manager of a huge club like Manchester United - it's difficult not to think about such an offer.
“I'm glad he has a high opinion of me and these things motivate me to work hard and train hard, to achieve the best performances.”