Manchester United: Zlatan Ibrahimovic could play for another 6 years

Manchester United frontman Zlatan Ibrahimovic could play for ’another five or six years’, says agent Mino Raiola.

Manchester United Striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is currently on his way back from the first major injury of his career.

Ibrahimovic signed on a free transfer from Paris St Germain on 1st July 2016 on an initial one year deal.

With 28 goals in 46 appearances, it looked highly likely that he would sign a one-year extension. However, the talismanic striker suffered the first major injury of his career by tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in April 2017.

While the club stood by their top scorer the one-year extension option wasn’t taken up by the club and the player was released on a free.

Ibrahimovic continued his rehabilitation work with United medical staff at Carrington. after showing great progress United announced on 24th August 2017 that they had resigned the striker on a one year deal.

This was big news for the club in terms of his on and off-field leadership. Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has said he doesn’t expect Ibrahimovic to play until the new year.

Mino Raiola

With speculation mounting on a possible return date, Ibrahimovic’s ‘super agent’ Mino Raiola is already starting to look beyond next season.

"“He has so much in him. I think minimum another five or six years,” Raiola told Expressen when asked how much longer Ibrahimovic can keep playing.“I won’t let him stop, he needs to work now for me. I have been working for him for years now. Now it’s my turn. My children are grown up and I need money.“We have agreed that for the next five years he is only working for me. So we’re flipping it now. The salary comes to me and he gets the commission.”"

Rehabilitation

Ibrahimovic has been keeping fans regularly updated on his rehabilitation via social media.

Age doesn’t seem to be anything but a number for Zlatan who is more fit than most players in their 20’s. A devote practitioner of martial arts, he has made amazing progress on what can sometimes be a career-ending injury.

In the words of Raiola;

"“Zlatan would never be broken by this injury. He is not a person who moans about himself during this injury. He is a person who takes this injury and turns it into something that makes him stronger, better and more complete,”“I didn’t think he could be stronger, but it made him even stronger. He’s stronger than he was before. Obviously, I was sad [about the injury], because he had a fantastic season. But I do not have much time to be sad because my role is a different one. I was sad, not for me, but for him.“I knew this would be a new fantastic chapter, that’s how I took it, because this guy is amazing. He’s crazy because he said he had nothing. No pain, nothing. He did not believe anything. But I knew it was more serious.”"

The Knee

Ibrahimovic has been treated by specialist Dr Freddie Fu who has been so impressed he wants to conduct research on the knee in question.

"“In his opinion, he has never seen a knee that is so strong and clean after a career that Zlatan has had, having had the hits he has had,” Raiola said.“This is a professor who treats top athletes all over the world and works with an American football team and he says he has never seen anything like that. For a person who, for the last 40 years of his life, has been involved in knees, he has found it is the best knee he has ever seen.”"

Next: Twitter explodes after Manchester United’s win against Tottenham Hotspur

One thing is for sure, United fans will be itching to see Ibrahimovic run out at Old Trafford again soon so they can show their appreciation for one of last season’s top performers.