Sridhar Bhamidi
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is looking to get into talks with his star forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic as he tries to tie him to a new contract.
The Swedish forward only returned to action recently after missing seven months with a cruciate ligament injury that he suffered in April. He is yet to make it to the starting XI, but it is well known that Jose is easing his Swedish talisman into the first-team and it won’t be long before he gets his first start after returning.
According to reports in The Sun, the 36-year-old forward has pencilled in talks with Mourinho in the New Year to discuss his plans and chart out his future.
I think this is excellent news for the club because not just Ibrahimovic fans (like me) but every United fan will vouch that the Swede seems to be someone who can play as long as he wishes to. Like Mourinho has often kept saying, the striker can play until the age of 40, which means there are three-four years left in him.
Before his injury, it was expected that Zlatan would leave Old Trafford this summer. However, after injury, he signed a new extension with the club after taking a huge pay cut which keeps him at the club for one more year. He currently earns £125,000-a-week, which is £6.5m a year.
That is largely due to the support he received during his injury layoff. He was offered the club’s best facilities and it was not a surprise when he signed a new one-year deal at the end of August – three months before his scheduled return from injury.
One thing you can be sure of Zlatan is his straight talk. Never the one to mince his words, the Swede would be honest with his views when he sits down with Mourinho in January for contract talks.
It is common knowledge that Zlatan wants to win the Premier League desperately. Although the title race this season seems to be really difficult, next year could be a different proposition altogether.
Is Zlatan priming himself for another shot at the title next season? I think so, and if he has set his heart set on that, I am sure he would do everything he can to win the title; because he is Zlatan Ibrahimovic!
