Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s return to Serie A is a not a sure-fire thing, according to agent Mino Raiola.
The Swede, who is out of contract with the LA Galaxy at the end of the year, seemed to suggest that he was heading back to Italy, where he has played in the past for Juventus, AC Milan and Inter, when he posted on social networks earlier this week: “See you soon in Italy.”
But, while rumours continue to link the 38-year-old attacker with a switch back to the country, where Milan, Bologna and Napoli are said to be among the frontrunners for his signature, Raiola has not closed the door to propositions from elsewhere.
“Why would I? It’s not been said that he will necessarily return to Italy,” the agent confirmed in Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Which of the three interested clubs will he choose? Who knows, we’re all free men.
“Could he retire? I’m not going to exclude anything but it is very unlikely. Ibra is still very well.”
It is thought that Ibrahimovic would like to settle in Italy with his wife and two sons when he quits the game.
Raiola, meanwhile, is looking forward to the end of this particular transfer saga.
“Where would I like to see him go? Away from me so he will stop stressing me out!” the super-agent joked.
Ibrahimovic has enjoyed a storied and successful career, which began in 1999 with Malmo and took in stops at the likes of Ajax, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United before he wound up in the MLS.
It was, however, in Italy that he shot to fame with Juventus, where he spent two seasons from 2004-06, before goal-laden spells at Inter and Milan that were sandwiched with his brief foray to Spain.
He also played 116 times for his national team, scoring a record 62 goals.
Throughout his career, he has been a controversial character and was recently in the news after buying a stake in Swedish outfit Hammarby, the great rivals to Malmo. It led to ultras attempting to set fire to a statue of him that had been built in his honour outside his former club.