Time Is of the Essence If PSG Want to Keep Hold of Insatiable Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Two goals and two assists from Zlatan Ibrahimovic instigated Paris Saint-Germain’s 4-1 mauling of Stade de Reims at Parc des Princes on Saturday.

Because of AS Monaco’s 3-1 home win over ESTAC Troyes, Les Parisiens’ lead at the Ligue 1 summit remained 24 points. However, the three points against Olivier Guegan’s strugglers represented another step toward an inevitable fourth consecutive title in Le Championnat.

Although Gregory van der Wiel and Edinson Cavani also found the back of the net in the French capital against Les Remois, it was Ibrahimovic’s double double that had everybody talking after the match.

PSG coach Laurent Blanc was so delighted by the Sweden international’s majestic display he waxed lyrical about his team’s talismanic striker to the assembled press after the game.

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Ibrahimovic is in blinding form. At the moment his feet are crazily quick. It's down to the work he's put in. Zlatan trains very hard and work pays off. We're managing to rest him more now, even if he always wants to play. People often forget he's indispensable to our game and our philosophy of playing. We can play without him and we've proved that. But we play better when he's there.

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Le President was not the only member of the capital club paying tribute to the 34-year-old’s impressive display post-match. Captain Thiago Silva was also full of praise for his team-mate and told L’Equipe (h/t ESPN FC) of his hope that the Scandinavian superstar will extend his stay in Paris.

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It is difficult to say anything about him—he is always amazing.We'll see what he does at the end of the season, but in my opinion he can stay because he could still play with us. I think he wants to stay. If he wins the Champions League this season, his opinion will probably be different.

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Silva’s comments touch on a pertinent subject that has become more and more pressing in light of Ibrahimovic’s prolific form in recent weeks. Where will Zlatan be playing his football next season?

With the PSG No. 10 in this sort of form, the French champions would be mad to part ways with him.

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More pointedly, with no reports suggesting Qatar Sports Investments (QSI)—Les Parisiens’ wealthy owner—has opened up talks with the club’s figurehead about extending his stay, could time be running out to persuade him his future lies at the Parc des Princes?

Ibrahimovic’s statistics this term speak for themselves; the former AC Milan star has 23 goals and 10 assists from just 21 appearances in Ligue 1.

If that is extended to include domestic and continental cup competitions, the super Swede has contributed a whopping 30 goals and 13 assists from 34 matches.

Pre-season, there were questions over Zlatan’s fitness after an injury-hit 2014/15. Further physical problems at the start of this term suggested those reservations were well-founded.

However, since his return to action back in late August, PSG’s all-time leading scorer has been in unstoppable form and looks like he will not be losing this momentum any time soon.

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The final remaining question regarding Ibrahimovic’s future, arguably, is whether he can be as decisive in the UEFA Champions League as he is in Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, the Coupe de la Ligue and the Trophee des Champions.

One goal—albeit a heavily deflected one—in the 2-1 Champions League last-16 home win over Chelsea on Tuesday suggested he could be as integral in Europe as he is in France. PSG may well be waiting until after the second leg of their encounter with the Blues to see whether that question has been answered beyond all doubt.

Francois Mori/Associated Press

While there is some logic in that, Laurent Blanc’s men might not have that long to consider Zlatan’s position past the end of the season.

With every goal he scores, rival clubs will become more aware Ibrahimovic is in the form of his life and potentially available on a free transfer this summer. There will be no shortage of takers if the striker decides to leave Paris at the end of the campaign.

PSG are also aware of this, though, and if the likes of his coach, Blanc, and his captain, Silva, are already convinced Zlatan remains absolutely vital to the club’s cause—which he clearly is—then there is little point in Les Parisiens waiting any longer to initiate talks with their star man.

Ibrahimovic is on course to record his best season (he scored 41 goals in all competitions in 2013/14), and he has already done enough to justify at least a one-year contract extension. If PSG delay the start of discussions with their talisman any longer, they risk losing him in the prime of his career.