Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has confirmed that mercurial striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic will stay at Old Trafford for one more year. The Red Devils have decided to exercise the option of activating a clause in his contract which extends his contract for a second season.
Ibrahimovic’s initial contract with the Old Trafford outfit was scheduled to end at the end of the current season but the Swedish hitman will now stay at the club until the end of the 2017/18 season.
The 35-year-old moved to Manchester United from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer and was part of Jose Mourinho’s overhaul of the Red Devils squad. The Portuguese brought the former Barcelona man along with world record signing Paul Pogba, Borussia Dortmund’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Villarreal’s Eric Bailly.
There has been speculation regarding the future of the Swedish hitman, with Ibrahimovic himself admitting that his next destination could be MLS in the United States. However, following the announcement by Mourinho it seems unlikely that the 35-year-old will be moving anytime soon.
Speaking in an interview with Aftonbladet, Zlatan had said: “It's a huge option for me. For the football and everything else. I can see myself conquering the U.S. as I have with Europe. Lots of people stay in one place throughout their career, but I've travelled around like Napoleon, and conquered every new country where I've sat foot. So perhaps I should do what Napoleon didn't and cross the Atlantic and conquer the States as well.”
Zlatan has had a mixed bag of a season so far in the red of Manchester United, having scored 8 goals in 14 appearances in all competition. The 35-year-old was on fire after making the switch from Parc des Princes in the summer and scored four goals in his first three appearances for his new club but he has been profligate in front of the goal ever since.
Manchester United have also struggled to hit top form so far this season under Mourinho and currently find themselves at 6th in the points table with 19 points under their belt in 12 appearances and find themselves 9 points off league leaders Chelsea.
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