Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Manchester United: Transfer to be delayed as striker wants to play at Rio 2016 Olympics

Ibrahimovic is reported to have set his sights on an Olympic gold medal

Zlatan Ibrahimovic in a Sweden training session ahead of their opening Euro 2016 match against Republic of Ireland (Getty)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is looking to delay his move to Manchester United in order to represent Sweden at the Olympic Games in Rio, according to reports.

With an offer to join United on the table with wages in the region of £250,000-a-week, Ibrahimovic is yet to confirm where he intends to play football next year, although it appears that a move to Old Trafford is favoured by the striker over any other destination.

Ibrahimovic’s contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires at the end of this month, and despite holding talks with United before the start of Euro 2016, the Swede did not sign a contract to join the Premier League side before he travelled to France with the rest of the international squad. The decision was made due to a loyalty bonus in his PSG contract that would see the 34-year-old lose out on a £1m bonus if he signed for another club before his deal expires.

However, United fans eager for the club to move for the former AC Milan, Inter Milan and Barcelona forward could face more frustration after the Sunday Mirror reported that Ibrahimovic will further delay any deal in order to play at Rio 2016.

Having won a league title with every club he has played for, Ibrahimovic is understood to be keen on adding an Olympic gold medal to his collection, and the Sweden Under-21 manager Hakan Ericson is hopeful on securing Ibrahimovic’s services for the tournament in Brazil.

Olympic rules state teams can name three players exempt from the under-23 rule that applies to the tournament, with each nation set to name a trio of senior players to boost their young squads.

But should Ibrahimovic head to South America in August, he would be ruled out of the start of United’s Premier League season, given that the new campaign is due to get underway on 13 August and the Olympics does not finish until 20 August. Of course, Sweden could be eliminated from the competition in the group stage – where they face Colombia, Nigeria and Japan – but Ibrahimovic would likely be afforded an extra summer holiday, ruling him out of the new season regardless.

That would not only impact United’s start to the Premier League season, but would also rule him out of their pre-season tour of China, and while from a competitively point of view his absence would be taken with a pinch of salt, the financial implications would be huge given the money that could be generated by Ibrahimovic’s attendance in the Far East.

Should Ibrahimovic decide against playing in the Olympics, he would expected to report for United training in time for the tour of China, providing he completes a deal to join the club in time for their 19 July departure.