Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimović could be on his way out of the club in the January transfer window, with MLS club LA Galaxy trying to complete the deal
Manchester United could be set to lose star attacker Zlatan Ibrahimović in the January transfer window, as the giant Swede nears a move to US Major League Soccer outfit LA Galaxy, according to reports from ESPN.
Ibrahimović had been in talks with LA Galaxy back in the summer of 2016, but opted to join Manchester United on a one-year deal and went on to enjoy a hugely successful debut campaign, scoring 28 goals in all competitions, leading the club to EFL Cup and UEFA Europa League glory.
Towards the end of the 2016/17 campaign, it was understood that the player was once again holding talks with LA Galaxy over a move to the States, but a career-threatening knee injury that he picked up in April, scuppered any chances of a transfer.
Following his injury layoff, Zlatan continued to train with Manchester United and signed a new one-year extension once he was passed fit. He returned to action in November last year and made just seven appearances, before suffering another injury setback towards the end of December. However, it is expected that the 36-year old will be returning to training within a week.
BREAKING: Sources have told ESPN FC that Zlatan Ibrahimovic is nearing a move to LA Galaxy. Read: https://t.co/lzvl36Dt0k #MLS pic.twitter.com/lGsp8eSWJ5
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) January 29, 2018
One of the biggest factors in Ibrahimović considering bringing his stay at Manchester United to a premature end is believed to be the club’s recent acquisition of Alexis Sanchez.
The 20-time English champions signed the Chilean from Arsenal, in a move that saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan the other way earlier this month. And with his arrival, Ibrahimović’s chances of regular playing time have taken a further hit, prompting him to ponder over a January exit.
It is understood that the MLS club would be signing Zlatan with the help of target allocation money, which would mean he would not take up a designated player spot and as per the report from ESPN, it is said the deal is “the furthest along it has ever been.”
In his long and illustrious career, Ibrahimović has represented prominent clubs like Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain before moving to Manchester United. However, it seems like he is set to draw curtains on his time at the Theatre of Dreams, with a move to the MLS looking like a strong possibility.
