Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Manchester United: Club growing 'increasingly confident' of signing striker
Ibrahimovic is out of contract with PSG and has admitted his interets in joining United this summer
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Your support makes all the difference.Manchester United are said to be growing “increasingly confident” that they will land Zlatan Ibrahimovic when the striker decides who he will play for next season.
The 34-year-old is out of contract after leaving Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season, and will head to the Euro 2016 Championship with Sweden without a club. Having been heavily linked with United as well as MLS side LA Galaxy, Ibrahimovic added fuel to the flames when he admitted on Thursday that he would be keen to link up with new United manager Jose Mourinho once again after they worked together at Inter Milan.
Having helped PSG retain the Ligue 1 title this season – a trophy they have now won for the past four seasons – Ibrahimovic has said he would like to play in the Premier League, and confirmed he had one concrete offer on the table to move to England, with the deal known to have come from United.
According to the Daily Mail, United believe that Ibrahimovic will be playing for them next season, with a source close to the striker claiming the move is a “dead cert” after Mouinrho was confirmed as Louis van Gaal’s replacement on Friday.
However, even though United are one of few clubs that can afford Ibrahimovic’s £220,000-a-week wage demand, the move depends on reaching an agreement with his agent, Mino Raiola. Ibrahimovic will be able to demand a huge signing-on fee given there will not be any requirement for a transfer payment, and the forward also has “concrete offers” from Italy and China – though it’s believed he does not view a move to the Far East favourably.
Addressing the links with United on Thursday, Ibrahimovic said: “Let's see what happens.” However, he was far more open in discussing the appointment of Mourinho as manager at Old Trafford, with the Portuguese signing a three-year contract with United with the possibility of a fourth year should he remain at the club until 2019.
"I think it’s a great move. You want action, you bring Mourinho. I think he is the man to bring them back to the top,” said Ibrahimovic.
"I had a fantastic time with him. When I left Inter I said we had a short time together but I had a great time. If we will work again, I don’t know. Let’s see how things play out.
"I’ve been speaking with him every day since I left Inter so there is no secret," he added. "I have a great relationship with Mourinho and we are in contact."
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