Zlatan Ibrahimovic exits MLS, but where next for the superstar striker?

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has “conquered” MLS and is officially moving on from the LA Galaxy, is a return to Serie A in Italy next for the larger-than-life striker?

Never one to downplay his own ability, Zlatan Ibrahimovic served a stark warning last month when asked whether he would be staying with the LA Galaxy for another season. “We’ll see what happens,” the Swede said, weighing up the pros and cons of putting pen to paper on a contract extension. “[If I stay], then MLS is good, because the whole world will watch it. If I don’t stay, nobody will remember what MLS is.”

Of course, his bullishness has very little grounding in reality. Major League Soccer enjoyed a period of phenomenal growth before Ibrahimovic showed up in the summer of 2018 and all signs point to that growth continuing now that he has left. It’s certainly true, however, that MLS has lost some sparkle with the departure of Ibrahimovic, the most headline-worthy soccer player to have played in North America since possibly his LA predecessor David Beckham or certainly Pele.

Confirmation of the 38-year-old’s LA Galaxy exit came on Wednesday. With a return to Europe now reportedly on the cards, Ibrahimovic kept up the act by telling his Californian fans “now go back to watch baseball.” Because as he implied just a few weeks beforehand, there is supposedly no reason to watch a league that no longer features Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

So where next? Manchester United have been linked, although such speculation has been played down with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer instead targeting a center forward who can carry the club into the future. That Ibrahimovic would even be linked with a move back to Old Trafford illustrates how highly he is still regarded in the game, even at the age of 38.

Instead, a switch to Italy seems more likely. AC Milan and Napoli are reported to be interested, but it’s Bologna who are somewhat surprisingly seen to be leading the chase.

The fact that these links exist at all are a testament to Ibrahimovic and what he has demonstrated over the past two seasons in MLS. Many believed the LA Galaxy would be Ibrahimovic’s last club.

At the time of his arrival in California, there were doubts over his fitness. The knee injury that effectively curtailed his two-season stint at Manchester United looked to have taken a lot out of the Swedish striker and many questioned whether he would be able to play week in, week out ever again.

In typical fashion, Ibrahimovic quelled such doubts, first with that stunning debut and then on a regular basis by scoring 53 times in 58 appearances for the Galaxy, finishing the 2019 season as MLS’s second top scorer. In his own words, “I came, I saw, I conquered.”

He might have lost a yard or two of pace, some of the old mobility might have disappeared for good, but Ibrahimovic has still managed to tune and adapt his game to ensure his continued effectiveness in front of goal.

“I know I could still make the difference, both in Italy and in other countries,” Ibrahimovic insisted in an interview given last month, offering the first hint that Serie A would most likely be his next destination. “I’d do better than the players who are there playing now.”

There’s little reason not to believe him.

Of course, it’s unlikely that Ibrahimovic would be able to play a key role for a team at the elite level. He simply doesn’t have the physicality to stand up to the demands of playing 90 minutes every week at that level. But as a secondary option, there would be few better. It’s no surprise there are a whole host of clubs wiling to take Ibrahimovic on.

The Swede already has a friendly relationship with Bologna manager Sinisa Mihajlovic and so that could be key to luring him to the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara over San Siro or the San Paolo. There Ibrahimovic would surely receive more game time, but he must be pragmatic in choosing his next club. Ibrahimovic will want to end things on his terms and not have to account for another injury in what will almost certainly be the final chapter of his career.

Wherever Ibrahimovic goes, the circus follows. That’s how he likes it. But goals and success also tend to follow.

Bologna are currently just three points from the relegation zone in the Serie A table. They could certainly use someone like the Swedish striker to help them realize their ambitions. Even at this stage of his career, Ibrahimovic is better than most at delivering dreams, even if he does so with trademark narcissism. That’s just the way he is and he still has more of it to offer.