Will Ibrahimovic play for Man Utd? Receives offers from England and Italy
Date
5/27/2016 4:06:33 AM
(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Sweden's Zlatan Ibrahimovic smiles during a presser following a training session with Sweden's national soccer team at the Friends Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, 26 May 2016. EPA/MARCUS ERICSSON SWEDEN OUT
London: Football rumour mills were abuzz with reports that once Mourinho is confirmed as Manchester United coach they will embark on a mega-spending spree signing some marquee players. The first on the list according to many football analysts is Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The 53-year-old is mulling a bid for Ibrahimovic as one of his first moves in the job, according to media reports, after the star Sweden striker played his final game for French champions Paris Saint-Germain last week.
Still looking for a team for next season, Ibrahimovic says he has "concrete offers" from England, Italy and other countries.
The 34-year-old Sweden striker, who has said he is leaving Paris Saint-Germain, has yet to announce where he is headed after the European Championship.
Ibrahimovic says "I have taken my decision," but he didn't elaborate.
Ibrahimovic teamed up with Mourinho at Inter Milan and has always spoken highly of the Portuguese.
"Mourinho is the disciplinarian," said the Swede. "Everything with him is a mind game, he likes to manipulate.
"Such tricks were new for me, all the time doing one thing to get another thing, all the time triggering me. I like these games and it worked for me."
Manchester United were locked in a second day of talks with Jose Mourinho's agents on Wednesday, hammering out a deal to sweep the controversial Portuguese boss into Old Trafford.
The former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager has agreed personal terms on a three-year deal with a likely annual salary of at least £10 million ($15 million, 13 million euros) but issues remain over image rights, Sky News television reported.
Chelsea still own Mourinho's image rights, despite his sacking last year, and the two clubs were reported to be locked in negotiations that could see United paying their rivals millions of pounds, according to press reports.
United finally sacked Louis van Gaal on Monday, two days after the club won the FA Cup with a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace.
Despite the victory, the Old Trafford club's failure to qualify for the lucrative Champions League proved fatal to the Dutchman's hopes of staying on as manager.
After a first day of talks between Mourinho's agent Jorge Mendes and the club's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, United goalkeeping great Peter Schmeichel said they likely involved both sides setting out the direction they want the club to go in.
"I always expected Jose Mourinho to have Manchester United at the very top of his list -- his dream job. I think he can be an absolute success but has a lot to prove," the Dane told Sky Sports television.
"I'm looking forward to this next period and hopefully he will give all fans belief that all is well and they are going in the right direction."
Agencies