Inter's Giuseppe Marotta Discusses Ivan Perisic 'Desire' Amid Arsenal Rumours

Inter Milan director Giuseppe Marotta has said the club are aware of Ivan Perisic's desire to leave but that his value to the club must also be taken into account amid persistent rumours linking the winger with Arsenal.

The former Juventus director responded to a question about Perisic during an interview with Radio Rai (h/t Football Italia) ahead of Inter's Coppa Italia match against Lazio on Thursday: "Perisic? We’ve listened to the desire of the player, but we must also take into account any clubs who are interested in him and his asset value, which represents the investment Inter made when they signed him."

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Marotta previously said the right offer has yet to arrive despite Perisic informing the club of his wish to leave, per Thomas Bristow of the Sunday Mirror. The director repeated that statement in an interview with Sky Italy on Monday (h/t Dejan Kalinic of Goal).

The daily updates coming from Inter seem to indicate they are willing to part with their star winger, which would make sense given their reported interest in Belgium international Yannick Carrasco. According to HLN's Kristof Terreur, Carrasco's future will depend on the outcome of the Perisic saga:

Arsenal made their first move of the January transfer window on Wednesday with the signing of Denis Suarez from Barcelona, and speculation has increased dramatically leading up to Thursday's deadline. Per Football Italia, the Gunners are looking for a loan deal for Perisic, which the Nerazzurri will not accept.

The 29-year-old has been linked with a Premier League move for years, but nearly all of the speculation had involved Manchester United until this transfer window. In December, he explained why he snubbed the Red Devils and maintained he was happy at Inter, per FourFourTwo (h/t The Independent's Jack de Menezes).

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His poor form may have something to do with his change of heart. The World Cup hangover has hit the former Borussia Dortmund man hard, as he's been among the most disappointing players in Serie A this season.

He's bagged just three league goals in after managing back-to-back double-digit campaigns. But while his stats look poor, he has done a fine job in creating chances for others:

There's a lot of risk involved with Perisic, who likely won't come cheap. He does have a lengthy track record of success, though, and if the Gunners can get him back to his best, he could be one of the best impact signings of the winter window.