Zlatan Ibrahimovic admits interest from AC Milan is “no secret”, but insists no deal has been done and he could still commit to another year in MLS with the LA Galaxy.
The 37-year-old is generating plenty of transfer talk after reaching the end of his 2018 campaign in America – one which delivered 22 goals and a Newcomer of the Year award.
A return to Europe is being mooted, with San Siro considered to be his most likely destination if a move is made.
Ibrahimovic concedes that the Rossoneri are pursuing his signature, and that he enjoyed a previous spell with the club, but is no position to speculate on what the future could hold at this stage.
He told Vanity Fair: “There’s interest, but I’d be fine spending another year in LA.
“It’s no secret that Milan like me. I had two wonderful years there and didn’t want to leave, but they ‘forced’ me to go to Paris.
“We won things, I ran out top scorer at a great club with a great atmosphere, plus the old guard was still there.
“They were an incredible group of players, with whom I was lucky to play and win. And I know what it means to win in Italy. Winning is everything.
“I’ve played for the three biggest clubs in Italy: Juventus, Milan and Inter. Milan treated me well: I came from Barcelona, where I’d experienced sadness, but Milan put a smile back on my face. I wanted to repay them.
“I won’t say ‘no’ and I won’t say ‘yes’. We’ll see… [Gennaro] Gattuso was a great player and is a great coach.
“When I watch Milan’s games, I see how all his players love him. When you win with people like him, and we’ve won the Scudetto and Supercoppa together, it’s wonderful. Good times.”
Ibrahimovic, who left Milan for Paris in 2012 before going on to take in spells with Manchester United and the Galaxy, has also been reflecting on an infamous stint working under Pep Guardiola at Barcelona.
The enigmatic Swede has been critical of the now Manchester City manager in the past and has reiterated that the Catalan coach made his time at Camp Nou a forgettable experience.
“The first six months went very well, and then everything changed for the worse,” said Ibrahimovic.
“Guardiola had a problem with me but he did not want to face it and I could no longer be myself, with his attitude he managed to make me doubt myself and my abilities.
“Of course, it could have been better in football terms but I learned a lot. Learning and growing is the meaning of life.”