Manchester United strikers Zlatan Ibrahimović (L) and Marcus Rashford. (Photo : Getty Images)
English Premier League giants Manchester United officially signed Swedish superstar Zlatan Ibrahimović to a one-year deal last Friday in a free signing after his contract with Ligue 1 champions Paris-Saint Germain expired in the end of June.
The contract comes with an option of being extended depending on the 34-year-old striker's performance this coming season, where he is reportedly set to earn £200,000 per week from the Old Trafford residents.
Ibrahimović had won in every country where he had played top flight football, including the Eredivisie (the Netherlands) with Ajax, Serie A (Italy) with Inter Milan and AC Milan, La Liga (Spain) with Barcelona, and most recently Ligue 1 (France) with PSG.
He hopes to bring that same kind of winning tradition in the Premier League in England as he reunites with new Red Devils head coach Jose Mourinho, who he had played for during his third championship season with Inter in 2008-2009 before leaving for Barça.
"I am absolutely delighted to be joining Manchester United and looking forward to playing in the Premier League," Ibrahimović said in the club's official website, as per BBC Sport.
"I cannot wait to work with Jose Mourinho once again. He is a fantastic manager and I am ready for this new and exciting challenge. I have thoroughly enjoyed my career so far and have some great memories. I am now ready to create more special memories in England," he added.
Meanwhile, Daily Mail Online indicated that Ibrahimović's signing could mean "good news" for United's 18-year-old striker Marcus Rashford as he can grow "under the wing" of one of the most successful goalscorers in the sport's history.
The report said that "Ibrahimović is 34 and will not be at Old Trafford in three years, when Rashford will still only be 21. This is a chance for him to learn, to be taken under the wing of a world-renowned goalscorer".
Ibrahimović's 24-year-old national squad teammate, John Guidetti, had recently testified of the Sweden captain's influence on young players, saying that "the way he speaks with all the younger players, the way he demands quality, it is a true pleasure to play with him".
"There will never be another Zlatan: he's a one-off. The way that he talked and behaved has inspired me," Guidetti said.
