I’m not here to waste time: Zlatan
MANCHESTER. — Zlatan Ibrahimovic has told Manchester United he is not at the club to “waste time” and that they must think big and show they are prepared to match his ambition if he is to remain at Old Trafford next season.
The Swede is in talks about taking up an option to extend his contract for another 12 months, although the 35-year-old has an offer to move to the Major League Soccer with LA Galaxy and has also been linked with Napoli in Italy.
The Swede scored a stoppage-time penalty to salvage a 1-1 draw against Everton at Old Trafford on Tuesday night, cancelling out Phil Jagielka’s first-half strike and taking his goals tally for the season to 27.
The result means United have won just six of their 16 English Premier League home games this season, drawing nine and losing once, while scoring just 21 goals. Nine teams have taken more points at home than the 27 United have managed.
United lost further ground on Liverpool and Manchester City in the race for the top four and their hopes of securing Champions League football for next season look increasingly likely to hinge on what happens in the Europa League.
A frustrated Ibrahimovic — who is currently deliberating on whether to take up an option to stay for a further 12 months — made it clear he is not impressed with United’s current trajectory.
In the most candid admission yet about his future, Ibrahimovic has thrown down the gauntlet to United by insisting he is unwilling to tread water for the final few seasons of his glittering playing career.
United want to sign Atletico Madrid and France striker, Antoine Griezmann, this summer and Ibrahimovic left the club under no illusions that he expects them to make a statement in the transfer market.
“I’m 35,” Ibrahimovic said. “A lot of things have to be settled. It’s not like I’m 20 and I have another five or 10 years. Probably I have one, two, three years so everything depends on what you want and what the club wants, what the vision of the club is because I said from day one I didn’t come here to waste time, I came here to win. If you want to win bigger then you have to create bigger.
“Listen, if I had something to say I would already have said it. We are talking. Whether we were far from each other or close to each other, there is no news. There are still talks and let’s see what will happen. I am open. Nothing is done yet. I came here without the Champions League. I came here with the team as it was. It was not a team that was favourite to win. I still came. I came to help. I came to do what I am able to do. To make it better. To bring the team to higher views, so let’s see what happens.”
United are fifth in the table and trailed leaders Chelsea (who met Manchester City last night) by 16 points going into Tuesday night’s game against Everton but Ibrahimovic