Mourinho refuses to rule out Ibrahimovic return at United
Jose Mourinho has admitted Zlatan Ibrahimovic could play for Manchester United next season and has refused to rule out a move for Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic.
The United manager said he did not expect Ibrahimovic to return until December from a cruciate knee ligament injury suffered in April but he raised the prospect of the veteran Swedish striker making a dramatic comeback once fit again.
United released Ibrahimovic last month but the 35-year-old has been undergoing his rehabilitation at their Carrington training base.
Ibrahimovic’s agent, Mino Raiola, has also held talks with MLS side LA Galaxy, whom United face at the Stubhub Centre in the early hours on Sunday, and the player said this week that there will be a “very big announcement soon” about his future.
United have since signed Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku from Everton for £90million and Mourinho has publicly admitted his interest in Spain striker Alvaro Morata for the first time but said Real Madrid’s asking price – thought to be £79 million – scuppered a deal.
Asked about the possibility of Ibrahimovic playing for United again, Mourinho said: “Possible, it’s open. Of course we wanted to be honest and open and have everything for him to make a decision in case his desire was to leave.
“So there was not a new contract, there was a space of time for everybody to think, feel and decide and from his point of view 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. He did not want that, he was not happy with the way he finished [last season] and he made the challenge for himself of wanting to keep playing at the highest level.
“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 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.”
As well as Lukaku, United have signed Sweden centre half Victor Lindelof this summer but Mourinho said he wants another two players and would not rule out an approach for Matic, who has been omitted from Chelsea’s pre-season tour squad to China. Juventus and Inter Milan are also interested in Matic.
Tottenham’s Eric Dier and Radja Nainggolan, of Roma, are two other midfield targets while United are also chasing Croatia winger Ivan Perisic, with Inter considering asking for Anthony Martial on loan as part of a proposed £45 million deal.
“I can’t say any word about a player that is a Chelsea player, it’s difficult, it was the same with Morata,” Mourinho said.
“We are not happy with just Lukaku and Lindelof, we need more. We wanted four so 50 per cent of the job is done. We need two more players.’’ Mourinho added: ‘‘We didn’t arrive at an agreement with Real Madrid {for Morata}. I do not criticise Madrid and I am not going to criticise my board because my board has made an offer.’’