Why the Premier League Can Do Without the Signing of Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimovic talks a lot. With every moment of sheer brilliance the Swedish striker produces there is at least one soundbite to go alongside it.
Ask him a question and you will get an answer, and then some. The posing of a question isn’t even a necessity in getting football’s most colourful character to speak.
But even by his own chatty standards, Ibrahimovic has spoken a lot of late. The subject of his discussion—his future.
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The striker’s contract at Paris Saint-Germain is set to expire at the end of the season, and the player himself hasn’t exactly remained coy on whether he will stay in the French capital beyond the summer.
Ibrahimovic has been there, got the t-shirt in most countries and leagues, winning titles in the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and France. The Premier League remains his personal final frontier, and it would seem there are no shortage of potential suitors—with Arsenal and Manchester United in particular linked.
“I have another three months here and, then, what will happen?” he said just a few weeks ago, per Dominic Fifield of the Guardian. “Big things will happen. So let’s see.” Asked whether he would favour a move to the Premier League this summer, he added: “Let’s just say I am in good shape.”
He also, reportedly, has offers from Major League Soccer, per ESPNFC's Mark Rodden, and the Chinese Super League, per the Sun, as football’s richest line up to make their case to one of the game’s great players. But the Premier League, and the clubs linked, should pass up the chance to sign Ibrahimovic. England’s top flight can do without him.
Sure, he is an exceptional player, even at the age of 34. His goalscoring record in Europe’s top five leagues over the past five years is only bettered by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, and from a footballing perspective, Ibrahimovic would be a worthy addition to most—if not all—Premier League teams.
But the problem with Ibrahimovic is that he is never viewed only from a footballing perspective. When clubs sign him they get much more than just a football player. What they get is a media personality and jester who just so happens to be one of the sport’s most formidable goalscorers. He just can’t shut his mouth.
Take the time his sexuality was questioned, for instance. A more media savvy figure would have dealt with the speculation diplomatically. Instead, per the Telegraph, he implored the pondering journalist to “come over to my house, baby, and bring you sister. I’ll show you who’s gay."
Then there was the time he called himself “God” before the play-off for the 2014 FIFA World Cup against Portugal, per Marca. And the time he warned his club captain Rafael van der Vaart that he would “break both your legs” if he ever made false accusations against him again (h/t Sky Sports).
Of course, there have been instances when the striker has been genuinely funny in his public comments, but he provides a distraction and any interested clubs must weigh up whether he is truly worth the trouble.
The Premier League is already narcissistic enough without Ibrahimovic entering the fray. Next season will see Pep Guardiola take charge at Manchester City, Antonio Conte at Chelsea and possibly Jose Mourinho at Manchester United. English football’s top flight is already sorted for egotism beyond the summer.
Although Mourinho’s potential appointment at Old Trafford would see the Red Devils become the likeliest destination for Ibrahimovic, given his previous relationship with the Portuguese coach. The two worked together at Inter Milan, with the Swede expressing his regret that he didn’t have the chance to work with the Special One for longer.
“We worked together for one year at Inter,” Ibrahimovic said in an interview with Telefoot (h/t the Daily Mail) last year. “The feeling was great between us and my only regret is that we were together for only one year.”
Now he might get the opportunity to make good on that regret at Manchester United next season, even if he isn’t the most natural of fits at Old Trafford. With recent high-profile arrivals like Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao floundering at the club, Ibrahimovic isn’t exactly a suitable target this summer.
It’s difficult to envisage the PSG striker working under Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, either, given his confrontational and attention-grabbing nature.
He isn’t a Wenger kind of player, to say the least, but neither was Mesut Ozil or Alexis Sanchez, so perhaps there is still scope for Ibrahimovic to pitch up at the Emirates Stadium before the start of next season—particularly if the Gunners boss is going all out for glory in the final year of his contract.
As has always been the case with Ibrahimovic, his worth is about evaluating the pros and cons of his potential signing, with his public persona something to be endured—for the most part—rather than enjoyed. The former Barcelona forward is so much of a cartoon character he was even turned into a cartoon character, quite literally, for a marketing promotion prior to the 2014 World Cup.
Apart from anything else, Ibrahimovic is moving firmly into the twilight of his career, for all his achievements and success over the years. Should Arsenal, Manchester United or anyone else sign him, they will get only one or two years of top-level competition out of him before the prospect of retirement starts to appeal to the striker.
He’d be expensive, too, with the player himself commenting that it will take £600,000 a week to lure him to the Premier League, per the Daily Mail's Matt Lawton. Of course, he most likely made such remarks with his tongue firmly in his cheek, but even still Ibrahimovic will command a top-tier salary at his next club.
Considering all this, would signing the Sweden international be worth it? He would be the ultimate short-term fix, which in the eyes of some clubs might not necessarily be a bad thing.
Ibrahimovic always leaves an impression, but it will be on more than just football. That’s the problem.
