<
>

Zlatan Ibrahimovic can imagine 'conquering' MLS after Man United

Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has described a future move to Major League Soccer as "a huge option" but insists he has no regrets about reuniting with manager Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford this season.

Ibrahimovic, 35, had been linked with a move to MLS upon declaring his intention to leave Paris Saint-Germain last summer, only for him to join Manchester United as a free agent instead on a one-year deal with the option of a second year.

However, the striker told Aftonbladet that a move to the United States still interests him.

"It's a huge option for me," he said. "For the football and everything else. I can see myself conquering the U.S. as I have with Europe.

"Lots of people stay in one place throughout their career, but I've travelled around like Napoleon, and conquered every new country where I've sat foot. So perhaps I should do what Napoleon didn't and cross the Atlantic and conquer the States as well."

Ibrahimovic, like his new team as a whole, enjoyed a strong start to the campaign, only for that to tail off and leave United nine points off the lead after just 12 games.

The former Sweden international said he always thought United would be "underdogs" and remains confident they can kick on, with Mourinho, his former boss at Inter Milan, as important in his move as the challenge itself.

"The team I signed for this summer is not as strong as the one I left, but when Mourinho called the decision was easy," he said. "When he calls I have no problem coming, all we had to decide was when I was to be presented as Man U player. The rest, the financial deal, was not the difficult part.

"It was about the challenge really, and I will never say no to a challenge. This is what I wanted; coming to one of the world's biggest clubs, that has had troubles and not won much of late, and try the Premier League. That is the challenge."

Ibrahimovic was speaking ahead of receiving his 11th Guldboll, the prize presented by the Swedish FA to the country's best player. The Swedish FA also announced on Monday that a statue of Ibrahimovic would be erected in Stockholm.