DOOR IS OPEN FOR ZLATAN

Jose keen on Ibrahimovic return

JOSE MOURINHO has left the door open for Zlatan Ibrahimovic to make a dramatic return to Manchester United.

Ibrahimovic scored 28 goals in his first season at Old Trafford but it was cut short when he ruptured the cruciate ligament in his right knee in the Europa League quarter-final against Anderlecht in April.

United did not offer the Swedish star a new contract but have allowed him to continue his rehabilitation at Carrington beyond the end of his old deal which ran out on June 30.

The club signed Romelu Lukaku for £75million from Everton as a direct replacement, knowing Ibrahimovic, 35, will not be fit again until the end of the year.

The striker is also being linked with a move to LA Galaxy, United’s first opponents on their tour of the US at the StubHub Center in the early hours of Sunday morning.

However, Mourinho refused to rule out re-signing Ibrahimovic as a free agent if the deal suits both parties.

‘It’s possible,’ said the United boss as he faced the media for the first time in LA. ‘It’s open. Of course, we wanted to be honest and open for him to make a decision in case his desire was to leave.

‘There was not a new contract, but there was a space of time for everybody to think, feel and decide.

‘He made the decision of wanting to play football still at the highest level. He didn’t want to hide behind such an amazing injury. It would be easy to hide behind it and stop and go to a different level of football. He did not want that.

‘We opened our door for him to recover with us and at the same time let’s make a decision that makes us all happy. If that is for him to stay and for us to wait, let’s say until December maybe because I don’t think before December he can get back to competitive football, why not wait for a player who gave us so much?

‘We are exchanging ideas and it’s with Mr (Ed) Woodward and Zlatan’s agent, but the important thing is the final decision is the best for the player.’

Mourinho wants two more summer signings but is refusing to be drawn on a £34m move for Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic.

United have spent £106m so far on Lukaku and Victor Lindelof, but Mourinho wants more.

A defensive midfielder is a priority and Tiemoue Bakayoko’s imminent move to Chelsea will push Matic closer to the exit. Juventus and Inter Milan are also being linked with the Serbia international.

‘I can’t say any word about a player who is a Chelsea player,’ he said. ‘ It’s difficult. I have to respect the player, the club, the owner, the manager. I don’t want to be disrespectful.

‘We don’t have our door closed. We are not happy with just Lukaku and Lindelof, we need more. We wanted four, so I would say 50 per cent of the job is done,’ he added.

Matic and Diego Costa will not take part in Chelsea’s pre- season tour of Asia as they try to complete their moves away.

Costa is thought to be still on holiday in Brazil having secured permission to extend his absence as talks continued over his proposed return to Atletico Madrid. Additional reporting by Matt Barlow