Zlatan Ibrahimovic 'wants Champions League football' but Manchester United still favourites

Super agent Mino Raiola says striker still wants to play at the top level

Tom Sheen
Thursday 07 April 2016 09:36 BST
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(Getty)

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The agent of Zlatan Ibrahimovic has said that the Paris Saint-Germain striker will want Champions League football wherever he ends up next season.

Manchester United, currently fifth in the Premier League, are the bookies' favourites to be his next club but Mino Raiola's announcement has put added pressure on Louis van Gaal's side to finish in the top four.

According to BetVictor, United are currently 2-1 favourites to sign Ibrahimovic before 3 September. That places the club above any Chinese Super League club (4/1), while West Ham United are the surprising third favourites at 8/1. The Hammers, currently sixth in the Premier League and trailing fourth placed Manchester City by three points, are ahead of both Arsenal and Chelsea who are both at 12/1.

Ibrahimovic, who scored a comical goal in the 2-2 Champions League draw with Manchester City on Wednesday night, is expected to leave PSG at the end of the season after his contract expires.

However, super agent Mino Raiola has said that the 34-year-old, who has never won the Champions League is still keen to "prove himself at the highest level".

"Zlatan’s sole priority at this moment is to end the season well," Raiola told RMC Sport.

"Zlatan knows what he wants to do. He wants to play in the final of the Champions League, and if possible to win it.

"Zlatan is motivated and all clubs who offer him a contract know that. He doesn’t need to continue for financial reasons, he wants to prove himself at the highest level, just as he has the other years when people thought he was too old.

"I’m not saying the financial aspect is not important at all, but his motivation is not money. If you are the best, you must be paid as the best."

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