Zlatan Ibrahimovic unlikely to get new Manchester United deal

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s knee injury will sideline him for the rest of the year

MANCHESTER United are unlikely to offer Zlatan Ibrahimovic a contract extension, according to Sky sources.

United have the option of exercising a 12-month extension to Ibrahimovic’s one-year deal, which is up at the end of the month.

But despite the 35-year-old’s preference to remain at Old Trafford, sources say his name is likely to be on the club’s list of released players to be published by the Premier League on Friday.

brahimovic had successful surgery on his damaged cruciate ligament at the start of May, and surgeons have been impressed by hiss progress, but it is thought it will be well into 2018 before he is back playing.

And releasing last season’s top scorer would free United’s wage bill of a large salary – more than £19m, according to figures published in a recent book – ahead of the transfer window.

United are confident of completing a deal for Real Madrid’s Alvaro Morata, while the Spain striker’s club team-mate Raphael Varane is among their defensive targets.

Marcus Rashford says he would welcome the addition of Alvaro Morata to the Manchester United squad and offers his views on working with Wayne Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored 28 goals, including a winner in the EFL Cup final against Southampton, before suffering a knee injury during United’s Europa League quarter-final against Anderlecht. – news.sky.com