This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Bayern Munich have completed the loan signing of Internazionale’s Ivan Perisic with an option to buy the Croatian winger at the end of the season for £20m.

The Bundesliga champions, who kick off their campaign against Hertha Berlin on Friday, have been frustrated in their attempts to sign attacking players this summer with Leroy Sané and Callum Hudson-Odoi staying at Manchester City and Chelsea respectively.

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On Tuesday night the Bayern manager, Niko Kovac, hit out at suggestions that Perisic, at 30 years of age, was too old and not of the same calibre as the other players in whom Bayern had been interested. Talking after the 3-1 German Cup win against Energie Cottbus, Kovac said: “This debate is basically wrong. Every player deserves some respect.

“It is too easy to always criticise someone. First you don’t [sign] someone and then not the next one either then you suddenly have a XY-solution? That is not good.”

Bayern have made defensive reinforcements with Benjamin Pavard from Stuttgart and Lucas Hernandez from Atlético Madrid joining for a combined £100m but, having lost Arjen Robben and Franck Ribéry at the end of last season, they were expected to make more attacking reinforcements.

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Kovac was unconcerned about Perisic’s age, saying: “Stefan Effenberg joined Bayern at the age of 30 and won the Champions League with the club. We have to get away from looking at the age [of someone].”

The Bayern sporting director, Hasan Salihamidzic, said: “Ivan has many years of international experience at the highest level under his belt and he can help us with this. He is technically gifted and versatile in attack.”

Perisic has played four seasons in the Bundesliga, between 2011 and 2015, representing Borussia Dortmund and Wolfsburg before joining Inter.