Report: LA Galaxy close to deal for Man United's Ibrahimovic

Jan. 29 (UPI) -- The Los Angeles Galaxy are close to signing Manchester United star Zlatan Ibrahimovic, according to multiple sources.

ESPN FC was the first to report the development.

Sources told the network that a "deal isn't done" but if the striker does make the move, he will be signed with the help of targeted allocation funds. That means he would not take up a designated player position.

Ibrahimovic, 36, suffered a gruesome knee injury in April, but has returned to make seven league and cup appearances. He suffered a setback in December, but is expected to return to training next week.

Manchester United's Zlatan Ibrahimovic reacts after picking up an injury during the UEFA Europa League Quarter Final second leg match between Manchester United and Anderlecht on March 20 at Old Trafford in Manchester, Britain. Photo by Peter Powell/EPA

United signed Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez on Jan. 22, which could eat in to the Swedes playing time.

The Red Devils beat Yeovil Town 4-0 on Friday. Manager Jose Mourinho spoke about Ibrahimovic in his Monday news conference.

"He's working hard to be fit," Mourinho told reporters, according to the team website. "I'm not saying injured because he's not injured. I think he's in a moment of trying to feel really ready for the demands of Premier League football."

Mourinho also made it sound as though he would not stand in the way of the striker going to the MLS.

"He told me nothing about it," Mourinho said. "The first time I read something or listened to something about that was from you - I read on some website and I listened to some channel. He never mentioned that to me, so I don't know."

"You know, Zlatan is in his last year of contract. If -- I'm saying if, if, if, because you told me, I repeat, he said nothing about it to me - but if, if, if that is true and Zlatan wants a future in another club, in another country, we are here to help and to create conditions for it to happen, not to make his life difficult."

"But, I repeat, the only thing that Zlatan told me or the last thing that Zlatan told me was he wants to recover totally and feel ready to help the team. That's the last thing I heard from him."

Ibrahimovic posted a photo of himself on social media Sunday, while riding a stationary bike and doing "high altitude work."

The Red Devils battle Tottenham Hotspur at 2 p.m. Wednesday in a Premier League clash at Wembley Stadium in London.

Ibrahimovic joined United in the summer of the 2016 after a very successful tenure at Paris Saint-Germain. He signed a one-year contract with the Red Devils in August.