Zlatan Ibrahimovic Comments on Manchester United Future Amid LA Galaxy Rumours

Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has warned the club that he "didn't come here to waste time," per James Ducker of the Telegraph.  

The Swede went on to say "the Premier League are begging me to stay," per PA Sport (h/t ESPN FC), in a week when rumours about a potential move to LA Galaxy have grown.

He has received an offer from Major League Soccer's LA Galaxy but is still considering whether or not to extend his deal at United, which ends this summer, per Ducker.

Ibrahimovic has scored 16 league goals for United this season but has been unable to prevent a disappointing debut campaign in Manchester for Jose Mourinho and his team. Their 1-1 draw against Everton on Tuesday evening, in which the former Sweden international grabbed a late equaliser from the penalty spot, was their ninth Premier League draw at Old Trafford this season.

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Unsurprisingly, this has led to question marks over Ibrahimovic's future, and the 35-year-old has made it clear he is not at the club simply for the paycheck.

"I'm 35. A lot of things have to be settled. It's not like I'm 20 and I have another five or 10 years," he said, per Ducker. "If you want to win bigger then you have to create bigger."

United remain fifth—four points behind rivals Manchester City in fourth—and with tough league fixtures against Chelsea, City, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur still to come their best chance of Champions League qualification may be winning the Europa League. The first leg of their quarter-final against Anderlecht is in Belgium on Apr. 13.

"There are still talks and let's see what will happen. I am open," he said, per Ducker. "Nothing is done yet. I came here without the Champions League. I came here with the team as it was. It was not a team that was favourite to win. I still came. I came to help."

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In a separate interview with BT Sport, Ibrahimovic was in a similarly bullish mood, claiming that he had adapted to the English game faster than critics had anticipated.

"Everybody thought I was in a wheelchair. What happened? The lion is still alive and that's the way it is," he said, per ESPN FC. "I have proved what everyone has said is wrong. I said I needed one year and it took me three months, what I wanted."

It would appear that Ibrahimovic has unfinished business, then, in English football, although reported interest from the U.S. could derail these plans.

Fox Deportes reported on Tuesday that he had already agreed to join LA Galaxy, per Charlotte Duncker for the Manchester Evening News:

The Swede's latest comments appear to reject this claim, although Ibrahimovic does seem to be in two minds over his future in England.

"How I feel today, I don't know if I will feel like this next year," he said, per ESPN FC.

Whatever happens to Ibrahimovic in the summer, United fans will be hoping he can remain focused until the end of the current campaign. Champions League qualification is still achievable, and having scored 36 per cent of their total league goals there is no doubt that Ibrahimovic is a vital component of Mourinho's team—for now at least.

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