Manchester United Transfer News: Zlatan Ibrahimovic Blow, Renato Sanches Rumours

Paris Saint-Germain manager Laurent Blanc has hinted the club are making positive progress with reported Manchester United target Zlatan Ibrahimovic over a new contract with the club.

The veteran striker’s deal in the French capital is set to expire at the end of the season, meaning he’s free to sign for a club on a pre-contract at the moment. But Blanc has revealed the wheels are in motion when it comes to negotiations with Ibrahimovic over an extension.

“Things are moving but now is not the time to talk about it,” said Blanc, per Goal’s Nicholas McGee. “You will know more in a few weeks.”

Alex Morton/Getty Images

As noted by McGee, United are one of many Premier League clubs who have been linked with the striker, as well as West Ham United and Arsenal. According to Matt Lawton of the Daily Mail, the 34-year-old wants a staggering £600,000-a-week salary to join an English side.

While that’s an obscene amount of money, Ibrahimovic is a player who is not only a major talent, but a box-office performer. Here’s why he’s rated as one of the top forwards in the world:

Despite his advancing years, the Swedish international seems to be getting better and better. As a footballer who has never been wholly reliant on a swift turn of pace, he’s remained a force to be reckoned with well into what many would consider to be the twilight of his career, with Ibrahimovic’s touch, power and intelligence still razor sharp.

There’s no signs of his goalscoring instincts waning any time soon, either. As these numbers from Squawka Football illustrate emphatically, he’s been at his predatory best this term:

The Premier League would be a fresh challenge for a player who has already won titles in France, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands. And for United, a club who have long been associated with brash characters such as Eric Cantona and Cristiano Ronaldo, he would be a huge hit with the Old Trafford regulars, plus a brilliant mentor to youngsters like Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.

FRANCK FIFE/Getty Images

Still, United are a club that are building towards the future with the integration of these young talents. So while Ibrahimovic would be tremendous fun to have around for a year or two, it’d be at odds with the mantras that are vital to the side’s long-term prosperity.

Jose Mourinho Key to Renato Sanches Move

Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

Mundo Deportivo (h/t Jonathan Green of the Daily Star) has reported Benfica starlet Renato Sanches is close to a deal that’d see him join Manchester United, although a potential appointment of Jose Mourinho as manager could rubber stamp the transfer.

Green notes that Juventus and Real Madrid are interested in the 18-year-old, who has caught the eye with some vibrant performances so far this term. “The duo [Sanches and Mourinho] share the same agent in Jorge Mendes and he has reportedly been trying to secure deal for both of them,” the piece continued.

GIUSEPPE CACACE/Getty Images

Of all the prodigious teenagers plying their trade in Europe’s top leagues, Sanches is arguably the most exciting. Here’s why he’d be a wonderful coup:

He’s a player who would definitely fit in to the aforementioned template, and as a rumbustious central midfielder, he could be at the crux of this team for years to come. 

Still, Greg Johnson of Squawka is unsure whether or not this summer would be the right time for Sanches to make a big move:

At United, he wouldn’t be guaranteed minutes, with the likes of Morgan Schneiderlin, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Ander Herrera currently battling for spots in the engine room. Whereas at Benfica, as is evident from his heavy involvement this term, he’d be a key component in the starting XI.

Sanches may worry that a chance to join an elite club is too good to turn down at the end of the campaign, especially under his compatriot Mourinho, should that deal go through. But his talent needs to be nurtured carefully, which is why for the time being, sticking with the familiarity of the Estadio da Luz and getting regular game time is the best option for the teenager.