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LA Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimović has revealed to his fans that he will be “coming back” to Spain.
The charismatic Swede, who spent two years on the books at Barcelona between 2009 and 2011, finds himself out of contract at the end of December, and there has been a lot of talk about what his next move could be.
🇪🇸 @Ibra_official back to Spain..? pic.twitter.com/HGT4rTWvib
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) October 29, 2019
Ibrahimović took to his Instagram story (via Sky Sports Football) to excite his fans, saying in a short clip: “Hola España! Guess what? I’m coming back.”
However, he did not mention in what capacity. Of course, a return to play in Spain is possible, but it seems highly unlikely that he will actually return as a player. There are plenty of possible suggestions as to what he actually means – the vast majority of which have absolutely nothing to do with football.
Only Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid would be able to afford a deal to please the high-earning Swede, but he does not fit the mould of a typical signing for any of those clubs.
In terms of his actual next move, a return to Serie A has been suggested as a likely option for Ibrahimović. Napoli are thought to be leading the race for his signature, after club president Aurelio De Laurentiis confirmed to Sky Sports that he was seriously interested in striking a deal.
“[Ibrahimović] is a friend, I met him in Los Angeles not as a footballer but as a normal person because we were in the same hotel,” De Laurentiis explained.
“I invited him over for dinner with his wife and kids and we had an amazing time. It would be my wish to see him in Napoli colours, it’s more than a suggestion and it depends on him. It’s been talked about for a few months now.”
Ibrahimović himself even talked up the potential of a move to Napoli, revealing he would like to follow in the footsteps of Diego Maradona.
“I appreciated the last documentary dedicated to [Diego Armando] Maradona; nobody is like him,” Ibrahimović explained. “Seeing the passion and love of that city almost makes me want to try out an experience in Naples: it would be fantastic to replicate what Diego did.
“I’m not saying I’ll be going there, the final decision will depend on many factors, but it’s a city that creates a lot of enthusiasm. With me, the San Paolo would sell out every week. And [Napoli boss Carlo] Ancelotti is there, he’s a football great.”
