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AC Milan to rival Manchester United for Zlatan Ibrahimovic's signature
Manchester United could face a challenge from AC Milan in their efforts to tie Zlatan Ibrahimovic to a new contract.
Ibrahimovic was not offered a new deal by United at the end of last season after suffering a cruciate knee ligament injury in April that is likely to rule him out of action until Christmas.
But Mourinho has admitted United could re-sign the 35-year-old Swede in time for him to play in the second half of the season, although the Manchester club may now face competition from Ibrahimovic’s former club Milan.
Milan have spent more than £160 million this summer as the club’s new Chinese owners set about rebuilding the squad and have been linked with a series of strikers, including Torino’s Andrea Belotti, Diego Costa at Chelsea and Nikola Kalinic, of Fiorentina.
But it is understood the Italian club are considering a move for Ibrahimovic, who scored 56 goals in 85 games at the San Siro between 2010-12, the first season of which was on loan from Barcelona.
United have given Ibrahimovic the use of their Carrington training complex as he continues his rehabilitation and are in talks to re-sign the player, who has also held talks with LA Galaxy and LA FC, the new MLS start-up franchise, in the United States.
Ibrahimovic shared an update on his recovery yesterday when he uploaded several videos of himself training at the 39 Monte Carlo gym in Monaco under the caption “no time to rest”.
Speaking before United’s European Super Cup defeat by Real Madrid on Tuesday, Mourinho said of Ibrahimovic: “Maybe he’ll stay with us. He’s not got a contract, but he’s still close to Manchester.”
Mourinho had made similar noises on United’s pre-season tour of the US last month when he said: “We opened our door for him [Ibrahimovic] to recover with us. At the same time let’s make a decision that makes us all happy and if that is for him to stay and for us to wait until, let’s say December maybe, because I don’t think before December he can get back to competitive football.
“But why not wait for a player who gave us so much? We are exchanging ideas and it’s with Ed Woodward [United’s executive vice-chairman] and Zlatan’s agent but the final decision is the best for the player.”