Real Madrid Transfer News: Zlatan Ibrahimovic Move Blocked, Reveals Mino Raiola

Mino Raiola, the agent of Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, has revealed he held talks with Real Madrid in 2014 about a possible transfer for the Sweden international.

Per Jose Felix Diaz of Marca, Raiola stated negotiations were scheduled to take place between himself and Los Blancos chief executive Jose Angel Sanchez about a potential deal, before his current employers put the mockers on the move.

“I even travelled to Madrid to meet with [Real CEO] Jose Angel Sanchez,” said Raiola. “But [PSG chairman Nasser] Al-Khelaifi found out because someone at the Bernabeu called him and the meeting was cancelled just like that.”

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Diaz wrote that former Real boss Carlo Ancelotti was the driving force behind the move, having worked with the mercurial forward previously. In addition, it’s also suggested Los Blancos did try to sign Ibrahimovic prior to those tentative negotiations last year, but president Florentino Perez pulled the plug, “not wanting to ruffle the feathers of Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, among others.”

There were some suggestions that Ibrahimovic could have moved to Los Blancos in the window just gone. According to Sport (h/t Jack de Menezes of the Independent), representatives from the two sides spoke about the Swede’s future during a meeting in Doha, with Zlatan’s contract at PSG set to expire next summer.

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When reflecting on Ibrahimovic’s career, it’s perhaps a surprise that he hasn’t yet turned out for Real Madrid. The Spanish giants regularly court the world’s best attacking players and having enjoyed stints with some of European football’s finest clubs, Ibrahimovic is a player who ticks both of those boxes.

At 34 years old, Ibrahimovic remains a major attacking force too, as we can see here:

For Real Madrid, he could still do a tremendous job. While his former ties with Barcelona may be enough to dissuade some Madridistas from wanting him, the veteran forward is a masterful, elegant target man and a player who has an insatiable thirst for scoring goals.

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With less than a year left on his contract at PSG, it seems as though the striker is ready for a new challenge as well. Zlatan has been linked with a possible move to Miami to join a new MLS franchise, per L’Equipe (h/t Nicholas Godden of the MailOnline), while there have also been some suggestions he could return to former club Malmo, per Callum Davis of the Daily Telegraph.

There is a sense that Ibrahimovic may be doing himself a disservice by joining teams of that stature, though. As is evident by some recent displays, he still has what’s required to thrive at the highest level, per OptaJean:

Arguably, there is still something that Zlatan needs to achieve before he is considered a genuine great: Champions League glory. For all his achievements down the years, it’s a competition in which he’s always failed to show his very best form in and whether it’s with PSG or another side, you can bet it's an itch he will want to scratch.

The prospect of Zlatan donning the all-white strip would definitely get supporters excited and for Real, who have a dearth of natural centre-forwards, he’d add quality depth up top. However, his wages would be astronomical and while Los Blancos are one of a few teams who could possibly afford them, Los Blancos would be better served looking towards the future instead.