Zlatan Ibrahimovic has certainly had the best of times and the worst of times over the course of the past calendar year. At least from a goal scoring standpoint. During his final season at Manchester United, he scored just once in seven appearances after a very speedy return from the anterior cruciate ligament injury he had suffered the previous spring.
It looked like he was washed up, at least until he dropped way down in soccer/football weight class (and took a 95% pay cut) to play for the L.A. Galaxy.
Now in Major League Soccer, where he’s allowed the skip the All-Star Game and not play on artificial turf just because he doesn’t want to, Ibra has scored 21 times in 25 games. That shows you the Swede’s knee is feeling better and that he can still bring it. In 2016-17, Ibrahimovic was United’s leading scorer, and by a very wide margin.
However, no one expects him to return to any form remotely comparable to that kind of production. Reportedly, Mourinho wants him back at Old Trafford for other reasons.
As ESPN puts it: “The true worth of Ibrahimovic to the under-pressure Mourinho would be the Swede’s influence in in the dressing room.To some at United, it is not a coincidence that disharmony within the squad has become an issue since Ibrahimovic moved away.”
“It is no secret Mourinho is struggling to reassert his authority on some members of the squad,”
NBC Sports add that: “By bringing back Ibrahimovic, even for a couple months, Mourinho may hope that the players can follow his lead, saving the team’s season.”
Of course, all of this is just in hypotheticals right now because logistics stand in the way of actually getting Ibrahimovic back across the pond. The MLS season doesn’t end until November, and given how results turn out at United over the course of the few weeks, Mourinho may not even be in a position to decide who the club acquires.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, is currently a regular contributor to SB Nation, WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
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