Milan are confident of reaching an agreement with Zlatan Ibrahimovic to extend the striker’s stay at at the club for one more season at least.
Ibrahimovic’s deal expires on 30 June but such has been his impact at Milan, having returned there on a free transfer from LA Galaxy in December 2019, that there is a desire among all concerned for the 39-year-old forward to remain. An extension to June 2022 is expected to finalised in the next week or so.
This has been quite the renaissance season for Ibrahimovic. He has scored 17 goals in all competitions for Milan – for whom he initially played between 2010 and 2012, during which time he scored 56 goals in 85 games and helped the club to win Serie A and the Italian Super Cup – and been recalled by Sweden after a five-year absence, somewhat handily in time for the European Championship.
Ibrahimovic being Ibrahimovic, there has also been controversy this season with the former Manchester United player receiving criticism for his criticism of athletes such as LeBron James who mix politics and sports. “I will never shut up about things that are wrong,” James said in direct response to Ibrahimovic. “I preach about my people and I preach about equality, social justice, racism, voter suppression – things that go on in our community.
“He’s the guy who said in Sweden, he was talking about the same things, because his last name wasn’t a [traditional Swedish] last name, he felt like there was some racism going on. I speak from a very educated mind. I’m kind of the wrong guy to go at, because I do my homework.”