What next for Zlatan?

LA Galaxy’s defeat to city rivals Los Angeles FC in the MLS Playoffs on Thursday means Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s time in the United States could be coming to an end. Enigmatic Swede Zlatan has been arguably the star of the MLS ever since he arrived at the Galaxy from Manchester United in March 2018, as he has been able to back up his never-wavering confidence with some impressive performances on the pitch.
Indeed, the experienced forward, who also counts the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Inter Milan among his list of former clubs, has scored a staggering 53 goals in just 58 appearances during his time stateside.
That has helped establish him as a firm fans’ favourite at Dignity Health Sports Park, although Thursday’s 5-3 loss to their city rivals in the Western Conference semi-finals means he could well have played his last game, not only for the club, but also in the MLS, as his contract is due to expire in two months time.
Ibrahmimovic certainly has no doubts over his importance to both the Galaxy and the league, revealing after Thursday’s game that “nobody will remember what MLS is” if he were to leave.
That may be a typical thing for the forward to say, but there is certainly an element of truth to the statement, particularly as other big names such as Wayne Rooney are also set to depart the league.
The former Sweden international turned 38 earlier this month and there will be some doubts over whether he could still cut it in a major European league, but his goalscoring record in the MLS would suggest he is capable of offering a short-term solution to a top club on the other side of the Atlantic.
Napoli are the most recent team that have been accredited with an interest, although they are hardly short of options with the likes of Dries Mertens and Arkadiusz Milik in the final third, while Fernando Llorente is arguably a very similar kind of striker to Ibra.
However, Ibrahmovic’s record in Serie A speaks for itself, as he has won four Scudetto’s in the past, three of which came with Inter and one with AC Milan, while he also achieved two successes with Juventus, although they were later expunged from the record books following the Calciopoli scandal.
He was also a prolific scorer during his time in Italy – a league that is traditionally defensively strong – with his best season coming when he netted 28 goals for Milan during 2011-12.
As a short-term solution on a contract until the end of the season, or perhaps for 18 months, Ibrahimovic could prove a shrewd choice, although his wages may be a stumbling block as Napoli are not necessarily one of the financially elite teams in Europe.
A return to Inter has also been mooted in some quarters, while Bologna have been linked as well, although a move to the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara would prove something of a surprise.
Of course, the veteran has not ruled out sticking with the Galaxy and he plans to take the next couple of months to mull over his future, with his contract in LA not set to officially expire until the end of the year.