Has Zlatan Ibrahoimovic's new Manchester United shirt number just been confirmed?
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is expected to make a return to the Manchester United squad in the coming weeks, with the Adidas online store appearing to confirm as much after assigning the Swedish striker a new squad number.
Ibrahimovic was a huge hit in the Premier League after signing for United last summer, with the veteran forward scoring 28 times and playing a key role in Jose Mourinho’s march towards the EFL Cup and Europa League trophies.
A serious knee ligament injury on April 20th appeared to end his time at the club and, possibly, at the top end of the game, yet the 35-year-old is making a rapid return to full fitness and has confirmed as much with a series of videos showing him in training on his social media channels.
Mourinho confirmed United were in talks with Ibrahimovic over a return to the club last weekend and with the No.9 shirt he wore last year now taken by big money signing Romelu Lukaku, it seems the No.10 jersey vacated by Wayne Rooney this summer may be assigned for Zlatan.
“We are discussing the possibility of him to stay with us,” said Mourinho earlier this month.
“It was very clear from him that what he did last year was not enough for him. He wants more football at the highest level so we are having conversations and discussing the possibility of him staying for the second part of the season.
“He is injured, he needs time to recover, and is not ready to play tomorrow. It’s not something that’s urgent, it’s not desperate to have it done or not.”
United shirts with Ibrahimovic’s name and No.10 on the back are already on sale in the Adidas online store, even though an official announcement on his return to the club has yet to be confirmed.
If the vibes coming out of Old Trafford are to be believed, Ibrahimovic will be back in the United squad sooner than anyone expected.
