Zlatan Ibrahimovic could be set for a summer move to the Premier League according to reports in
France which claim that the PSG forward is ‘certain’ of a move to England with his contract expiring
at the end of the season
The well-travelled forward has played all over the globe with the likes of
Barcelona, Ajax and Inter Milan but is yet to play on English shores
Ibra has enjoyed consistent
success in the French capital since his £15m from 2012; adding three French league titles to his
already full trophy cabinet.
We assess the potential destinations which could prove to be the 34-year-oldÂ’s eighth club:
ARSENAL
Things could have been much different for Ibrahimovic and Arsenal back when the Swede was just
16 years old
Arsene Wenger offered the striker a trial, only to be rebuffed as Ibra ‘doesn’t do trials’
and he opted to sign for Ajax following a season with Malmo
ArsenalÂ’s quest for the title seemingly crumbled again this season which has piled pressure on
Wenger amongst the Arsenal faithful
The Frenchman has been criticised for not strengthening the
GunnersÂ’ forward line in the summer with main striker, Olivier Giroud, ending an 11-game goal
drought before his FA cup strike against Hull
Leicester and Tottenham have pulled away in the title
race although it would be foolish to count WengerÂ’s men out yet
Should he keep his job, big name signings will be demanded in the summer
Mesut Ozil has been one
of the best performers in the league this season and Ibrahimovic would no doubt thrive from the
GermanÂ’s creativity
Reports suggest that the Emirates is the forwardÂ’s preferred destination and
Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has urged his former club to secure his signature
However, Arsenal are
also keeping tabs on Juventus striker Alvaro Morata which doubts over both IbrahimovicÂ’s wage
demands and age
MANCHESTER CITY
Manchester City were another club who came close to signing Ibrahimovic back in 2011
Sheikh
Mansour had recently completed his takeover of the club and began to transform City into a global
superpower
Following his departure from Barcelona, the Citizens expressed their interest but the
Sweden international opted for a switch to Milan
He claimed that City may have become a big club in the next for years but he didnÂ’t have time for
long term plans at the age of 29
He also made it clear that money would not have been a factor in
his decision
The Manchester club now boasts one of the strongest sides in the world and have
added two Premier League titles to their name
Wilfried Bony has struggled since his big-money move from Swansea and Kelechi Iheanacho is
regarded as a work in progress meaning first choice striker, Sergio Aguero, has relatively little
competition
Ibra would no doubt be a good signing for City but he may have to accept a role as the
second choice striker which could prove a stumbling block
The main concern would be the
impending arrival of Pep Guardiola
It is well documented that the two have never seen eye to eye
and Ibrahimovic states he left Barcelona purely due to the Spaniard describing his former boss as a
‘spineless coward’.
MANCHESTER UNITED
Reports in France suggest that Manchester United have made securing IbraÂ’s services their main
priority in the summer
Another disappointing campaign has meant another summer of upheaval is
likely to be on the cards for the Red Devils
The future of Louis van Gaal is also in doubt and a new
manager would mean even more changes at Old Trafford especially if bookmakerÂ’s favourite, Jose
Mourinho, takes over
Zlatan played under the former Chelsea manager at Inter Milan for just one season but has always
spoken highly of the Portuguese manager
He wrote in his autobiography that Mourinho ‘brightens
up the room’ and that he would become a guy that he was ‘willing to die for’
However, the Swede
did not enjoy the best of relationships with LVG during his time at Ajax
United legends Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand questioned the current squadÂ’s passion and desire
following their 2-0 defeat at the hands of Liverpool
Ibrahimovic could be a season defining addition
to their squad bringing a wealth of experience and leadership qualities to the table
Youngsters such
as Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial would also benefit from having another high calibre
forward at the club
Ibrahimovic playing his trade at Old Trafford next season seemingly depends on
who is sitting in the dugout
CHELSEA
Chelsea are another club set for an important summer transfer window after a hugely disappointing
season following a season of dominance which saw them lift the title comfortably
Mourinho was
dismissed and Gus Hiddink was installed in order to steady the ship
Antonio Conte is the favourite to take the reins at Stamford Bridge at the end of the season and has
been learning English since January
The Juventus legend is expected to bring his own staff to the
club and will also look to bolster their current playing squad
Diego Costa has only just rediscovered
his best form but may face disciplinary action following an alleged bite on Gareth Barry
Loic RemyÂ’s
transfer has also proved largely unsuccessful and Bertrand Traore is not yet ready for first-team
football.
Ibrahimovic has never had the chance to work with Conte as the Italian retired the season that the
Swede joined the club in 2004
Hot prospect Traore will also benefit from the SwedeÂ’s experience
who could be the perfect bridge between Costa and the Burkina Faso international
However, Zlatan
has not enjoyed the best relationship with the Blues
He was dismissed in last seasonÂ’s Champions
League tie at Stamford Bridge and described the reaction of Chelsea players as disgraceful who
‘acted like babies’.
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Source : DSG
Source: DSG