MANCHESTER UNITED HAVE no interest in bringing Zlatan Ibrahimovic back to Old Trafford during the MLS off-season, according to manager Jose Mourinho.
Ibrahimovic joined United on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in 2016 and scored 28 goals in all competitions that season.
However, the former Sweden star suffered a cruciate ligament injury before the end of the campaign and, after battling back to first-team action by the end of 2017, he moved Stateside to LA Galaxy.
In 26 league games for the Los Angeles side, the 37-year-old has struck 22 times, while United’s first-choice striker Romelu Lukaku is in the midst of a much-discussed lean spell.
Nevertheless, Mourinho is not interested in offering Ibrahimovic a route back into European football as mid-season cover.
Speaking at a news conference ahead of Sunday’s Premier League match against Everton, the United boss was asked about the possibility and simply replied: “No.”
Mourinho went on to underline his confidence that Lukaku’s lean spell of eight games without a goal in club colours will soon come to an end.
“I always feel the [next] game is the game [he will score],” he said. “I feel that every game.
“One day he will score and one day his confidence levels will be back to normal, which clearly they are not. I always feel that every game is the game.”
An injury list that includes Chile forward Alexis Sanchez means Mourinho feels he is unable to take Lukaku out of the firing line at present.
“Against Juventus, to give him a break, I don’t think [first-team coach Michael] Carrick can play as a striker.
“Or [if] we play with the players that we did or we decide to give a rest to Lukaku, then [Marcus] Rashford plays as a striker, who plays as a winger?
“At this moment we are not in the best situation to think about resting players or trying to find solutions. The solution now is to play the players we have.”
Subscribe to our new podcast, Heineken Rugby Weekly on The42, here:
I’d still fancy Ibra to get into double digits during the loan spell. Absolute shocking decision to let him leave for Lukaku.
@Philip Morgan: don’t know about that, sure the mls standard is league 1 standard, he doesn’t even have to run, bangs in a few goals, it’s easy stand out in that league, Rooney looks like old Rooney in his prime now too.
@Philip Morgan: Philip in the end it was Zlatan decision to leave, he didn’t see himself being as good as he was before the injury. Yes he looks great in the MLS but it’s not the PL or European football standard .
@Paul: He did score 29 goals in just under 50 games. So he was hardly past it. And I don’t see how he could suddenly become past it now, only a few months after leaving and 22 goals in 26 games later (Albeit it in a poorer league).