Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
It was not a memorable night for Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Thursday as not only did he miss a hatful of chances in Manchester United’s Europa League win over Anderlecht but he also picked up a very nasty injury in the final minutes of normal time.
Ibrahimovic landed awkwardly and seemingly hyper-extended his knee in the process it is an injury that could see the former Swedish international miss the remaining few games of the season but could it also mean the last we have seen of “Zlatan” at Old Trafford?
It has been well publicised that Ibrahimovic is out of contract in a couple of months time and he is yet to sign a new deal with either his current employers or with anyone else for that matter and with his future still undecided this injury will throw question marks as to where his future may lie.
That’s not to say it is going to be a long term injury which sees him miss the start of next season and let United shy away from offering a new contract to Ibrahimovic but at the same time if the trophy winning magnet does decide to cash in on a move elsewhere then that may well have been the last we see of him in a United shirt.
With a whole host of clubs eyeing up Ibrahimovic as the top name on their shopping list this Summer it will come as now big surprise if the 35 year old’s stay in Manchester is a relatively short one. Interest has been mooted from clubs both in Europe and further afield.
It is Major League Soccer in which he really could cash in with LA Galaxy and new MLS Franchise Los Angeles FC which is starting next season. A move to the new Los Angeles franchise could prove to be the more tempting.
That’s not only due to the £5m a year salary that he could command but also the fact that he could be loaned to a European club for the first half of the season. So perhaps we could see a deal that is perhaps beneficial to both Ibrahimovic and United.
Should he pick the stateside option then there is the likelihood that he could still feature for Manchester United in the first few months of the 2017/18 season. Especially as you get the feeling that he may well feel that their unfinished business.
If that was to be Ibrahimovic’s last action of the season then that is arguably not the way a player of his calibre should bow out, even more so when you take into account the unique personality of the former PSG forward.
So with his future up in the air for now, people will not only be keenly waiting to see if his injury does see him out for a extended amount of time but also what bearing if any would it have on his plans for next season.
An interesting Summer of Zlatan awaits us all
