Inter Milan promised prized striker Ivan Perisic they will close the gap on European rivals Manchester United as the Croatian pens new deal

• e-mail

Inter Milan have promised striker Ivan Perisic that they will catch Manchester United to persuade the Croatian to pen a new deal at the San Siro.

Jose Mourinho, who lead Inter to their last Champions League trophy in 2010, was said to be interested in Perisic during the summer, and while a deal did not materialise, Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio has made doubly sure their European rivals desist from attempting to lure their star striker away from the San Siro.

According to Four Four Two, the contract, which will run until 2022, possesses no release clause, a common aspect of many footballers' contracts which has seen so many poached by rivals with deeper pockets.

Ivan Perisic has penned a new five-year deal with Inter Milan which has no release clause

The Croatian striker was subject to heated interest from Jose Mourinho's Manchester United

'Perisic still had a few years on his contract,' Ausilio said. 'Nobody ever denied that this offer arrived from Manchester United, but we have been working to convince him to stay at Inter and that our project could be just as successful as Manchester.

'The new contract was a consequence of that. There is no release clause because we did not intend to propose one, nor was it requested by his entourage.'

Perisic found the net 11 time in his 36 league appearances for Inter last season, but has been on hot form so far this campaign, scoring three in his first five. 

But the striker has now been promised by Inter's sporting director Piero Ausilio that the Serie A side can return to their former glory and close the gap on the likes of Manchester United

The Italian giants have become the not so Italian giants in recent times having struggled both domestically and in Europe, failing to finish inside the top three since 2010-11 during a period of complete domination in Serie A by Juventus.

But while Inter have begun a resurrection of their domestic form, currently sitting top of the Serie A table, they still remain a long way off the pace of their European rivals - including United - having not competed in the Champions League since 2012.