Zlatan Ibrahimovic will reportedly consider his future at Manchester United should they fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League
According to David Anderson of the Daily Mirror, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is mulling over signing an extension at Manchester United, particularly due to no guarantees of playing in the Champions League next season.
The Swedish superstar moved to Old Trafford this summer, hoping that United’s absence from Europe’s elite club competition was temporary, but after spending months in sixth position, he is starting to cast doubts over his team’s top four credentials.
While the Red Devils have managed to narrow the lead down to just four points between them and second-placed Manchester City, finishing in the top four is far from a given as the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Arsenal are all looking to play in the Champions League next term.
Their other alternative of qualifying will be via the Europa League – the second tier of Europe’s elite club competition. Currently in the Round of 16, the Manchester side are considered as one of the favourites to lift the trophy. They will face FC Rostov in a two-legged fixture next, and will be hoping to make it to the quarter-finals and further escalate their chances of securing direct entry into the Champions League group stages.
Ibrahimovic will be turning 36 this year and the 2017/18 campaign looks to be the last one of what has been an illustrious career. The striker will be out of contract at the end of the season, but United boss Jose Mourinho expects him to extend his contract by another 12 months.
The Portuguese has no doubts about the player’s future, and expects him to represent United next season as well. The prolific Swede has taken no time in adapting to life at his new club as he has scored 24 goals in 37 appearances in all competitions.
The Old Trafford faithful will also be hoping that the 35-year-old stays on for at least another season, as no striker in the last few seasons has managed to find achieve the consistency he has at the club.
Ibrahimovic is unlikely to move to another European side now and the MLS looks like a potential destination for him when he decides to leave Manchester United. Also, with the spectacular wages Chinese clubs are willing to offer, the Swede could ply his trade in Asia in the foreseeable future.
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