| Advertisement |
March 2 (UPI) -- Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said Friday that the thinks Zlatan Ibrahimovic will leave the club after this season. The Swedish striker joined United in the summer of 2016 from Ligue 1 power Paris-Saint Germain. He signed a one-year contract in August with the Red Devils.
Advertisement
Still, transfer rumors have surrounded Ibrahimovic, including a possible move to Major League Soccer and the Los Angeles Galaxy.
"For Zlatan, we all think it's his last season at Manchester United and it will be a very personal decision for him to play or to stop," Mourinho told reporters, according to ManUtd.com.
"I think he won the right of choosing his life and his future - he's such an amazing player with such an amazing career that only that awful injury in the wrong moment broke a fantastic couple of seasons that he could, and should, have with us."
Ibrahimovic suffered a knee injury in April, but returned in November. He suffered a setback in December and has been sidelined since United's 2-2 tie against Burnley FC on Dec. 26 at Old Trafford.
"This season has been really difficult for him. Is he injured? No, he's not injured," Mourinho told reporters. "Does he feel totally happy and totally ready and totally convinced that he's in [the] conditions to help the team in this moment? No."
"But he's such an honest guy and such a champion that he only wants to be back with that feeling of 'I'm totally ready for it'. He's working hard and, hopefully, his evolution brings him to that level that he wants to have a positive answer."
Ibrahimovic, 36, scored 28 goals in 48 games last season for the Red Devils. United faces Crystal Palace on Monday and Liverpool on March 10, before resuming its Champions League series against Sevilla on March 13 in Stretford, England.
