Zlatan Ibrahimovic Says Manchester United 'Not as Strong' as Paris Saint-Germain

Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has conceded that his new club are “not as strong” as previous team Paris Saint-Germain. 

The veteran forward left the French champions in the summer as a free agent before signing on at Old Trafford and has been discussing the reasons why he chose to join the Red Devils. Ibrahimovic revealed to Aftonbladet (h/t Stefan Coerts of Goal) that manager Jose Mourinho was key to him joining a team not as complete as PSG.

“The presence of Mourinho was very much decisive,” he admitted. “The team I signed for this summer is not as strong as the one I left, but when Mourinho called the decision was easy.

"When he calls I have no problem coming, all we had to decide was when I was to be presented as a United player. The rest, the financial deal, was not the difficult part.”

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Ibrahimovic enjoyed four seasons at the Parc des Princes, helping PSG to four Ligue 1 titles with his stunning goalscoring. The team failed to clinch the UEFA Champions League during the Swede’s time there but did make it to the quarter-finals four times in succession.

United are a long way from that domestic dominance and failed to even qualify for the Champions League last term. Ibrahimovic admitted the Red Devils reaching those heights may require patience.

“With all the new signings this summer, people were getting all excited,” he said. “But it has been four or five years that the club has not won the league or been in the top of the table. That is something we work on.”

The 35-year-old is doing his utmost to ensure that progress is expedited, having largely impressed for the Red Devils despite a recent six-game goalless run. Per OptaJoe, the striker has been the main source of goals at Old Trafford this term:

PSG owe a lot to Ibrahimovic for their domination of the domestic scene. The standard of opponent in Ligue 1 may not compare to that of the Premier League, but the former Sweden international was incredibly consistent at the point of the attack, becoming the highest goalscorer in the club’s history with his haul of 156 goals.

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Since the striker’s departure, the French champions have struggled a little. Indeed, after 13 games Unai Emery’s team sit third in the league table, three points behind leaders OGC Nice.

Per WhoScored.com, Ibrahimovic’s replacement up top, Edinson Cavani, has at least been a positive for the Parisians:

The United No. 9 may not be at the club by the time United are challenging for European titles again in the future, but he can be a key influence in the team’s development. After all, Ibrahimovic is a winner, and Mourinho will be hoping the steely mentality he possesses will rub off on some of his squad.

While the Red Devils have made glamorous acquisitions in recent windows in an attempt to bridge the gap, those players haven’t gone the distance in the Premier League or the Champions League yet, meaning that a win-at-all-costs mindset hasn’t been cultivated.

With some stirring showings in the short term, Ibrahimovic can be crucial in kickstarting that process.