Hajduk Split would welcome Ivan Perisic to the club from Tottenham regardless of his injury but would likely prefer that he is healthy.
That’s according to former Hajduk goalkeeper Vladimir Balić, who says the Croatian club are most focused on the player’s image and the impact on his homeland.
Perisic had been linked with a move away from Tottenham throughout the summer transfer window but rather than joining the exodus to Saudi Arabia, it was Croatia where he looked likely to go.
That never happened before the transfer deadline, but the return continued to be mooted ahead of the January transfer window until his injury this week.
Perisic is now facing the rest of the season on the treatment table after suffering an ACL injury in Tottenham training this week.
That would presumably end all hopes of a transfer happening in the coming months, with it unlikely any club would want to sign a veteran player who is still recovering from a big injury such as an ACL.
That might not be the case with Hajduk Split, though, at least according to Balić, who believes their motivations go deeper.
“We would like him to come healthy, but if he comes injured, we will be happy,” he said.
“We will see what kind of work he will be able to offer, but if he comes, his image will be here, and his image is very big in Croatian football.
“He would certainly be an incentive for our youngsters who are currently not in Hajduk but will return from the loan and be a constant at the club.”
