Paris Saint-Germain’s Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic wants his club to make a transfer move for Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney.
Paris Saint-Germain centre forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic has called for the club to bid for Manchester United star Wayne Rooney this summer.
Since being taken over by Qatar Investment Authority between 2011-2012, PSG have spent hundreds of millions in the transfer market – including over £100m this season alone on the likes of Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva, Lucas Moura, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Marco Verratti.
Club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi revealed last week that he was an admirer of Rooney’s talent.
“Rooney’s a great player, one of the best strikers in the world. Everybody would like to have him,” Al-Khelaifi is quoted as saying in the Sun newspaper.
Sweden international Ibrahimovic followed up the claims with a slightly less subtle call for Rooney to join him in the French capital.
“If he wants to be part of the best project in football then there is only one club to sign for,” said the typically outspoken Ibrahimovic to the Sun.
“Only he knows the decision he is going to make in the summer but the project we are trying to build here is clear.
“We are not content with being the dominant force in France, we want to be the top club in Europe as well.
“I can understand why the owners are interested in Rooney – he is in the top 10 of strikers in Europe.”
Wayne Rooney has been linked with a transfer exit from Manchester United ever since he was left out of the Red Devils’ starting line-up at Old Trafford for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League last 16 clash against Real Madrid, though Sir Alex Ferguson has vehemently denied any such departure is on the cards.
The England international forward sensationally submitted a formal transfer request in October 2010, and has seen his relationship with Ferguson questioned ever since.
Although Rooney has won almost every club trophy available to him with Manchester United, there remains a feeling that he hasn’t quite reached his potential.
When he sprung onto the scene as a 16 year-old with Everton, he was a boy playing playground football in man’s body – bursting past players at will and unleashing powerful shots at goal.
Since then, his admirable tendency to put the team first has resulted in regularly being played out of position to accommodate other players; whether filling in on the wing so then team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t have to track back, or this season’s deployment in central midfield to make way for Robin Van Persie.
Perhaps at PSG, a partnership with Zlatan Ibrahimovic could prove fruitful – as well as give him the attention and prestige he craves.
COMMENTS