It doesn't matter which sport they play, whenever a superstar announces that he's looking for a new home, rumors start flooding in from all sides. In soccer, there are perhaps only three names more recognizable than Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the whole world.
Well, as soon as Zlatan said the words, "I came like a king, left like a legend", the media started going wild with rumors.
Photo: @TV3SportsGh | Twitter
Nevertheless, the leading rumor that's currently trumping all others is that the Swedish superstar could land at Old Trafford with Manchester United.
While Louis Van Gaal will have his players fired up to play in the FA Cup final this Saturday, a match which could determine his fate as United manager, the Dutch coach, who is notorious for signing flops, could have a potential life saver in Ibrahimovic.
If he manages to convince the player to wear a Manchester United jersey next season, Ibrahimovic could fire the Red Devils back amongst Europe's elite.
Robin Van Persie filled that need for a while, but Man United have never really had a reliable, 30-plus goals per season striker since they said goodbye to Ruud van Nistelrooy. Of course, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney had 30-plus goal seasons, but neither of them is a pure number nine.
Photo: @thefootballsc | Twitter
While there are two gems on the roster who should become superstars in their own time (Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford), United could use an immediate talent like Ibrahimovic. Not only could he carry the scoring load for a club that scored a measly 49 Premier League goals this season, but he could also show the youngsters how to stick the ball into the back of the net.
Here are a few fun facts for hopeful United fans:
- Zlatan scored 48 goals this season. The last time he scored less than 30 goals in a season was in 2010-11, when he scored 21 while playing for A.C. Milan.
- The last time a Manchester United player scored more than 30 goals in a season was Wayne Rooney, when he chipped in with 34 goals in 2011-12.
- The last time a United player not named Wayne Rooney or Cristiano Ronaldo scored more than 30 goals in a season was Ruud Van Nistelrooy with 44 goals in 2002-03.
Now that we’ve established that having a goal-scoring machine would be a plus for the Red Devils, there is the Ibrahimovic side of things. So, what seems to be one of the biggest hurdles keeping him away from Manchester? His wife.
Goal.com reports that Helena Seger, Ibrahimovic’s wife, is strongly against a move to Manchester, which could turn out to be excellent news for folks in North America.
Apparently, Seger’s desire is to live in a major city, and they are not ruling out the cosmopolitan cities of the United States. Conveniently enough, a club in one of America’s major cities seems ready to make a splash for the Sweden international.
Photo: @thefastfoot | Twitter
Reports are already flying in that there is a 90 percent chance that the striker will join the LA Galaxy.
Percentuali Ibra oggi: 90% LA, 10% ManUtd #market
— Alessandro Alciato (@AAlciato) May 12, 2016
To add more wood to that fire, Goal.com also indicated that Ibrahimovic was recently in the US on a business trip. Will these rumors prove true? If you're a MLS fan, you should be hoping so.
Team Ibra source: LA Galaxy in the picture, but also expecting $10-12 million annual net salary offer from China. ManUtd also a possibility.
— Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) May 14, 2016
