AC Milan Reportedly 'Determined' to Secure Zlatan Ibrahimovic January Transfer

AC Milan reportedly remain interested in signing Los Angeles Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic but will not press the striker hard for a decision. 

According to Fabrizio Romano of Calciomercato, everyone at the San Siro is "determined and convinced" to bring back the Sweden international for a second spell, and they are in a position where they would be able to pay the €4 million (£3.5 million) annual salary Ibrahimovic would command.

However, it's added that Milan sporting director Leonardo is not going to try to force Ibrahimovic into making a decision soon, as any urgency on the part of the Serie A side may do more harm than good. Leonardo is said to be on good terms with the veteran striker. 

"The Swede is fascinated by the return to Milan and knows that it can be a perfect solution but will not make final decisions before the beginning of December," said Romano. "At this time, the negotiations will come alive, while today Ibrahimovic is a wonderful thought for Milan."

Ibrahimovic was allowed to leave Manchester United earlier in 2018 and made the switch to Major League Soccer. Since linking up with the Galaxy, the 37-year-old has shown he still has a lot to offer.

The MLS Twitter account reflected on the excellent year he had:

The former Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Juventus player is on the shortlist to be named as the division's Most Valuable Player, while he was also confirmed as the Best Newcomer to the league recently:

Ibrahimovic was unable to fire Los Angeles to the MLS Cup, as their hopes of qualifying for the playoffs were ended by a home loss to Houston Dynamo.

The end to the 2018 term for Galaxy has unsurprisingly triggered rumours surrounding their star striker, and he was recently quizzed on the prospect of a return to the European game.

"I have some wishes and demands which [are] simple things," he said, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN FC). "There is interest in Europe, but my priority is Galaxy. They have wishes, I have wishes, but I'm optimistic and I'm positive."

Ibrahimovic spent two seasons at Milan between 2010 and 2012, the first of which was on loan from Barcelona. He made 85 appearances for the club in total, scoring an impressive 56 goals in that timeframe.

Matteo Bonetti of ESPN believes the setup at Milan would be able to cater for the striker too:

Manager Gennaro Gattuso does have firepower available to him already. Gonzalo Higuain is one of the most reliable goalscorers in Serie A, while Patrick Cutrone is among the division's most exciting attacking prospects.

Still, if they were able to get Ibrahimovic in on a short-term deal, his experience, mentality and goalscoring pedigree would potentially be crucial as Milan push to get back in the UEFA Champions League again.