Following the good news that Antonio Conte is to remain as manager for next season, Tottenham Hotspur have wasted no time in getting their summer transfer business underway. It’s looking likely that Fraser Forster will join from Southampton as a backup goalkeeper, while the North London club have also swooped to sign experienced winger Ivan Perišić on a free transfer after the Croatian left Inter Milan. He will once again link up with Conte, who he won the title with at Inter a couple of seasons ago.

The signing of Perišić has raised a few eyebrows, mainly because it is a departure from Spurs’ usual transfer policy of signing younger players who have the potential to improve at the club and increase their value. Perišić is 33, and while some may consider such a signing to hamper the development of younger players, bringing in the Croatian could prove to be an inspired bit of business for Tottenham.

The most obvious positive surrounding the transfer is that Perišić didn’t cost a penny. Having run down his contract at Inter Milan, he was free to move to wherever he saw fit, with Chelsea also reportedly sniffing around. Getting a player of Perišić’s considerable experience, who is still operating at a high level, on a free transfer is excellent business by any standard. We’ve seen in the past what good value free transfers can be for a club — just think of James Milner and Joël Matip at Liverpool.

Perišić also brings plenty of European pedigree, which will help Tottenham as they return to the Champions League next season for the first time since the 2019-20 campaign. He has played in numerous Champions League campaigns in his career, as well as playing a key role for Croatia in major international tournaments. That experience could be vital in helping some of Tottenham’s younger players to cope with the demands of top-level football on the continent.

Of course, the most significant factor that appealed to Tottenham regarding Perišić is that he is still a player more than capable of making a difference on the pitch. Throughout his career, Perišić has been a player with a knack for popping up with important goals — you only have to ask England fans who watched him knock the Three Lions out of the World Cup — and that innate ability to contribute when it matters most could increase Spurs’ chances in the football betting.

Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min have been the primary source of goals for Tottenham in the last few seasons, but by bringing in Perišić they’ve added another player with the ability to notch double figures in terms of goals, as well as playing provider for Spurs’ aforementioned stars.

While it’s not a big-money move, or one that will send shockwaves across the European football landscape, there’s no doubting that Perišić is a player who will make Tottenham better. Moreover, he is a player perfectly suited to playing under Conte, possessing strong physical traits as well as supreme quality on the ball.

With Champions League football returning to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, their manager firmly rooted to North London for next season, and players like Perišić wanting to join the club, it’s an exciting time to be a Spurs fans.