Because he already played for Barca in spain, and Real has Ronaldo, they didn't need a clash of two kings up front. Bayern had a solid side that was clicking under Heynckes and Pep sure as hell wasn't going to sign him. The only question is PL and there's only really 3 clubs capable of affording him. We had Rooney at his peak and signed RVP around the same period. City hasn't signed anyone upfront of Zlatan's level since Aguero so was obviously building the team round him. Chelsea thought it was more fun to screw themselves with Torres. Sense is only there if you think.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic |United Player | See the thread in the United Forum
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From the latest rumors:
Martial----Ibra----Sane
---------James--------
---CM-----------CM---
Martial----Ibra----Sane
---------James--------
---CM-----------CM---
Potential being the important word there.
If we sign Ibra we won't sign another top forward. We only play with one and there's no way he's moving to sit on the bench.
That's not sense. You've just suggested he had no choice but to join PSG. I'm thinking money had something to do with it.
sense noun (ABILITY)
[C] an ability to understand
You said it doesn't make sense like it's some mysterious phenomenon. I have suggested explanations to why it wasn't for you to understand. Even without my reasonings, you yourself suggest money had something to do with it. Does that not make sense to you then for a person of high regard in his occupation to accept employment with at worst a 2nd tier club in Europe for very good money? PSG was his most viable choice and it's a very good choice too because of the money. What wouldn't have made sense would be if he had joined West Ham for half the pay just for the sake of playing in one of the top 3 leagues.
Like Thiago Silva, Ibrahimovic has been pushed out of Milan because they couldn't afford his wage and needed the money from his transfer fee, at the time no one offered Milan or Ibrahimovic a better offer and for good reason since he had already played for Barcelona, Milan, Inter, Juventus and the english clubs weren't after an expensive striker yet.
Milan were champions in 2012 with them.
Sure, Berlusconi changed his strategy but they could not reject:
- €42m for a central defender: the 2nd most expensive defender in History of the Game at this time (before David Luiz for €50m and then Mangala for €54m)
- €20m for a striker who was about to be 31 years old
Misleading to say they were financial burdens for Milan.
Let's say Milan AC's owner don't want to spend his money and try to be opportunistic: for instance, they hired Alex and Menez for free (end of contract with PSG).
I remember very well this interview.
As I said earlier, Milan said "Thiago Silva: you have to go" because they did want to earn 42m of transfer fees. Nothing to do with wages.
Edit: I have reread your post so let's say we agree
No dropping to maybe the 5th best league to earn a few extra million doesn't make sense to me. Not when he's supposed to be one of the top five players in the world. That's valuing money over achievement. Which I always find odd for somebody whose already very rich.
Put the dictionary away.
It has been well explained in the posts above on this page as to why Ibra moved to PSG.
It was hardly a big money move. Plenty of English clubs could have afforded him. Joe Allen went for £15million that summer, Carzorla £16 million, Giroud £15million, Hazard £32million, Oscar £25 million. Plenty of money sloshing around.
On the flip side his wage shot up by moving to PSG.
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Indeed plus if you look at the fee in context, it was a lot for a player with only 1 year remaining on his contract and who was 31
He's very well aware of his legacy as Ibra. No way he'll come to the Premier League at 35. He's enjoyed being a bully in a nothing league for the last whatever number of years. Won't want to have to work too hard. I think Sweden is still best bet.
Actually he has the same wage, iirc 14m€ in both clubs.
Yeah with his wage it's a lot. He sets that wage though. Dropping that wage I'm sure would have opened up more opportunities. Which is my point. He didn't HAVE to go into French football.
I'd have to check sources but I'm convinced the move resulted in his wage going up €2 million a year. Made him one of the best paid players in the world.
I understand fans of his wanting to see him in the best possible light but the best footballers in the world don't move outside of the top four leagues for love of the club.
A rumor dismissed by everyone involved.
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Yes, I would put it away since it's a waste of time on you. The point of "making sense" is that it was his best option, with the availability of options for top clubs and the consideration of money. Not being a reason to your liking doesn't make it a non reason.
I see you've now inserted money into the equation when you didn't previously.
One of the world's greats is available for about the same fee as Joe Allen and his only option is to slip down to the fifth best league in the world and join a club that hadn't been champions for nearly 20 years. OK pal.
It was clear what PSG was aiming to become after Qataris took over them. It wasn't to dominate French football, it was to join the elites in CL and they have succeeded. Don't make it out as if he joined PSG for kickabouts in the league which isn't some amateur league anyway. PSG has actually reached the CL quarters every season since Ibrahimovic joined them, something no English team has achieved in the same period. It's no easier challenge than just joining any team in the PL to fight for a 3rd or 4th spot.
For what it's worth, you can search all his related threads and see if I was ever a fan boy. I'm still not a fan boy now but I don't see why there's no reason to analyse things objectively and hope a potential transfer could be a success here.
Among all the big clubs only Chelsea had a reason to purchase him but they never came for him, probably because he was 31 years old, at that time Ibrahimovich wanted to rejuvenate the team.
PSG have been a let down in the ECL, recently producing one of the limpest semi final displays you'll ever see. Comparing them to badly underperforming English clubs doesn't change that.
Suggesting he moved for money is hardly lacking in objectivity. Agree or not it's a plausible argument.
I think they were still banking on Torres to work.
It still doesn't deny the fact they are making pushes in the CL. The point of comparing to the english teams is that the challenge in joining PSG shouldn't be brushed over joining an English team challenging a CL spot when they aren't progressing any better.
No where have I denied money is a factor and if you already accept it's an objective and plausible argument as well then what doesn't make sense? I don't agree that it was for money alone but that's beside the point. Does it only make sense if he took a paycut and joined any English team regardless whether they were challenging for the title? Sounds a bigger stepdown and giving up whatever ambition there is, now that would make much lesser sense.
Why Ibrahimovic joined PSG?
It's a combination of money, Ancelotti, CL football, nice city, joining one his best friend (Maxwell) and Milan wanted/had to sell him.
It's a combination of money, Ancelotti, CL football, nice city, joining one his best friend (Maxwell) and Milan wanted/had to sell him.
You've misunderstood me saying it doesn't make sense. That's not me saying I don't see any possible reason for the move. On the contrary I clearly believe it was for the money. That doesn't mean it makes sense though. Putting money over the quality of football you're playing in week after week. Not when you're already a multi millionaire. Same goes for Di Maria.
It's a short career and if you're already loaded the football should be the priority. You talk about ECL but not about the league football, that's what he has to perform in week in week out. A player of his status shouldn't be playing at that level.
You're using hindsight to compare English teams and PSG in the ECL. Go back to when he joined. English teams were strong and PSG were nowhere near. Nobody at that point could have predicted the English bunch would go to shit.
I don't think we will sign him and I hope we don't. As well as the implications on the pitch we'd just be another massive payday for him.
If Ibra ends up signing for us, I look forward to the end of the season with some of the posts in here.
You are arguing that league football is the only thing to play for though but it's not. PSG had a challenge to make progress in CL, the hindsight part shows that the challenge was genuine. For what it's worth French league is not some amateur league, and for a player who won titles in other top leagues, English football on its own is not some holy grail he must have. If he chose PSG over the chance of winning PL then it wouldn't have made much sense other than just money. But if the choice is to help PSG in the CL while not compromising himself over being as you say another Joe Allen with a paycut? Not exactly a stupid choice to make I think.
Exactly, PSG has a Project named "Dream Bigger" embodied by Leonardo: when Qatar acquired PSG in 2011, their objective was to win the ECL in the next 5 following years.
From a Qatari perspective, it means unlimited budget and the opportunity to play with great players and win trophies.
For instance, PSG are in a financial position to spend more than € 200m to acquire Neymar this summer if possible.
Money matters a lot but it is not the only one decisive factor. For example, Ibrahimovic has recently rejected all the very lucrative offers coming from China: €35m per year
I have this strange feeling that City will sign him
You have no clue, do you?I have this strange feeling that City will sign him
I have this strange feeling that City will sign him
No way he signs for pep.
Are they... with his wages and FFP - could they actually do that
Here is a quote from the PSG president himself
http://www.espnfc.co.uk/story/2511923/uefa-lifts-man-city-and-psg-spending-restrictions
Highly doubt he and Pep are keen to work together again.I have this strange feeling that City will sign him
He hates Pep and he wont be the main man at cityI have this strange feeling that City will sign him
Schmeichel Interview about Zlatan in 2013
“'You've got to ask Zlatan why he hasn't played in England yet, but I'd love to see him at Manchester United.
“I don't know who he supports, but he's a born Manchester United player, he would be absolutely brilliant.
“I think our supporters would love him, if he ever made that move, he wouldn't move again.
“For Zlatan to play the way we love him to play, he has to be Zlatan.
“We're a very big football club and we've had players behaving in different ways throughout the history of the club.
“The managers have always been able to handle that and get the maximum out of the players.
“A lot of people are comparing Zlatan with Eric, Eric Cantona. He had a difficult time before he came to United.
“He had 11 clubs in France and a trial at Sheffield Wednesday and Trevor Francis didn't fancy him and then he had six months at Leeds and Howard Wilkinson didn't fancy him.
“But then he came to United and the rest is history. He's arguably the greatest player we've ever had.
“I think he's so suited to the Premier League and he has loads of time left in his career, I hope we see him there.”
Source
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...ed-player-just-like-eric-cantona-8743979.html
“'You've got to ask Zlatan why he hasn't played in England yet, but I'd love to see him at Manchester United.
“I don't know who he supports, but he's a born Manchester United player, he would be absolutely brilliant.
“I think our supporters would love him, if he ever made that move, he wouldn't move again.
“For Zlatan to play the way we love him to play, he has to be Zlatan.
“We're a very big football club and we've had players behaving in different ways throughout the history of the club.
“The managers have always been able to handle that and get the maximum out of the players.
“A lot of people are comparing Zlatan with Eric, Eric Cantona. He had a difficult time before he came to United.
“He had 11 clubs in France and a trial at Sheffield Wednesday and Trevor Francis didn't fancy him and then he had six months at Leeds and Howard Wilkinson didn't fancy him.
“But then he came to United and the rest is history. He's arguably the greatest player we've ever had.
“I think he's so suited to the Premier League and he has loads of time left in his career, I hope we see him there.”
Source
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...ed-player-just-like-eric-cantona-8743979.html
Schmeichel Interview about Zlatan in 2016
Still, Schmeichel believes United need a player like Ibrahimovic. He compared the Swede's potential impact on the current squad to that of a former club great:
"He's like an Eric Cantona, who can inspire all the guys in the dressing room but also the supporters. That's what it's all about. It's not about having a Sunday nap at Old Trafford."
Interesting Full article below
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...manchester-united-zlatan-ibrahimovic-and-more
Still, Schmeichel believes United need a player like Ibrahimovic. He compared the Swede's potential impact on the current squad to that of a former club great:
"He's like an Eric Cantona, who can inspire all the guys in the dressing room but also the supporters. That's what it's all about. It's not about having a Sunday nap at Old Trafford."
Interesting Full article below
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...manchester-united-zlatan-ibrahimovic-and-more
Fair to say big Pete is a fan isn't it. He's exactly right though. It's a signing for on the pitch and off it. Somebody who commands that Aura and respect can only be a good thing.
I can certainly see the appeal of moving to PSG for him. He earned a huge amount of money, that is always going to be the biggest reason. Then you have the fact that Paris is a great city, he probably thought he had a reasonable chance to win the CL there, and being in a slightly weaker league meant he had the opportunity to score a huge amount of goals: he might have quite liked being a big fish in a slightly smaller pond. Given the stats he went on to rack up and the kudos he gets for that, if that was in his mind it looks like a fairly rational decision.
He's a serial winner and we need more of them in the squad.
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