This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is likely to be on the move come the January transfer window as his MLS adventure has come to an end.
The world, however, still doesn’t really know where the big Swede will end up going, but if recent exclusive reports coming from Area Napoli are anything to go by, clubs like AC Milan and Everton are keeping an eye on his situation.
Elsewhere it has been reported by Gazzetta dello Sport that he has, in fact, already chosen the Rossoneri, but some contract issues are preventing the deal from going through.
Of course, Ibrahimovic is a man who doesn’t need much of an introduction and both teams could definitely use some of his magic.
The English side are currently sitting in 14th place in the table and their struggles in the Premier League are apparent.
Even though they have scored a total of 19 goals in 16 games – which is not a terrible return – those goals are mostly courtesy of two players – Richarlison with six and Dominic Calvert-Lewin with five goals under their belts.
The rest of the team have only contributed here and there and with two youngsters leading the line, maybe a bit of experience and European pedigree would be just what the doctor had prescribed for the Toffees.
But very much the same could be the case for the Rossoneri.
Sitting in tenth place in the Serie A table with 16 goals in 15 games, the Italians are very much in a similar position and maybe even a tad worse when it comes to proficiency in the final third.
Of course, they too have a very young frontline in the form of Krzysztof Piatek and Rafael Leao, two players that Milan can build their future around.
And as much as Ibrahimovic’s inclusion could potentially give them the edge they’ve been missing, they have to be wary of him completely taking the spotlight away from their young stars.
Did he play for Everton? Simple question but a lot tougher than you think…
Would the big Swede be content on sitting on the bench and acting as a super-sub instead of being the man of the hour every single game?
His history tends to disagree and we know how big of an ego he has.
Prior to signing him, the former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola dined with Arrigo Sacchi, a legendary Milan coach, and the Italian told him that he should be wary of Ibrahimovic’s individualism, as per Goal’s quotes:
“Ibrahimovic is a fantastic player. But he is too much of an individualist in what is a team game. I advised Guardiola against signing him.”
Of course, that’s arguably the price that you have to pay in order to have such a star in your team but Milan, just as Everton, have to decide whether his inclusion truly is worth the cost.
The progression of their young forwards might be put on hold and even though it seems like a decent short-term solution, it could still have big implications on their future.
