Jose Mourinho says Manchester United will not stand in Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s way if he wants to leave the club this month.
Reports are linking the Swedish striker with a move to the MLS and Mourinho revealed United will allow the 36-year-old to leave if that is his wish.
Mourinho said: “He told me nothing about it. The first time I read or heard something about that was from the media. He never mentioned that to me so I don’t know.
“Zlatan is in the last year of his contract. If that is true and Zlatan wants a future in another club in another country we are here to help and to create conditions for that to happen, not to make his life difficult.”
Ibrahimovic has made just seven appearances for United this season, scoring once, and has not featured since Boxing Day after aggravating the knee ligament injury he suffered in the Europa League quarter-final against Anderlecht last season.
“The last thing that Zlatan told me was that he wants to recover totally and feel ready to help the team,” Mourinho added.
“He is working hard to be fit. He is not injured, he is in a moment of trying to feel really ready for the demands of Premier League football.”
Marouane Fellaini is one of two other United players – the other being Michael Carrick – who are definitely out of contract in the summer. The club have options to extend the contracts of Daley Blind, Luke Shaw, Ander Herrera, Juan Mata and Ashley Young for the 2018/19 season.
Carrick is set to retire and join United’s coaching staff and Ibrahimovic looks very unlikely to be at Old Trafford next season but Mourinho is still hopeful of keeping Fellaini.
