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Zlatan Ibrahimovic has 'agreed to sign' for Manchester United, according to a report by Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf .
The Paris Saint-Germain striker, whose contract at the Ligue 1 club expires at the end of next month, has reportedly agreed to reunite with Jose Mourinho, his former manager at Internazionale.
Mourinho himself is expected to replace Louis van Gaal imminently, after the Dutchman was told on Monday morning that he would not see out the final year of his three-year contract.
Ibrahimovic has attracted interest from several elite European clubs, as well as Major League Soccer and Chinese Premier League outfits, but has apparently plumped for a first spell in English football.
The deal is said to include an option which would allow him to become an ‘assistant coach’ at United after ending his playing career.
Players Manchester United have failed to sign under Ed WoodwardShow all 11 1 /11Players Manchester United have failed to sign under Ed Woodward Players Manchester United have failed to sign under Ed Woodward Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid) United were wary of entering the race to sign Ramos last summer, knowing he could well be using their interest to land himself a bigger contract. Nevertheless, United moved for the Real captain, and sure enough his “fractured” relationship with Real president Florentino Perez was suddenly patched up and he agreed a five-year contract extension.
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Players Manchester United have failed to sign under Ed Woodward Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund) Hummels was linked with United in the summer of 2015 after putting his Dortmund future in doubt, alerting United that he could be available as a much-needed defensive target. The Germany international elected to stay in Dortmund though, and has now ended any chance of joining United in the near future by returning to Bayern Munich.
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Players Manchester United have failed to sign under Ed Woodward Fabio Coentrao (Real Madrid) United were heavily linked with a loan move for Coentrao in United’s first transfer window under David Moyes and Ed Woodward. Things didn’t go according to plan though, and the move collapsed to leave the pair – Woodward in particular – facing criticism over his handling of the deal and his experience in the football world.
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Players Manchester United have failed to sign under Ed Woodward Ander Herrera (Athletic Bilbao) Another player who failed to complete a move during Moyes’s reign despite appearing nailed on to do so. ‘United officials’ arrived in Spain to tie up the deal for Herrera, only to be exposed as imposters as United had not sent anyone from the club. The move collapsed, and United would later sign Herrera the following year for an inflated fee.
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Players Manchester United have failed to sign under Ed Woodward Cesc Fabregas (Barcelona) A year before Fabregas sealed his return to England with Chelsea, United had attempted to sign the former Arsenal captain. Again, with Moyes at the helm and repeated declarations of interest, United were unable to agree a deal with Barcelona, and the Spaniard remained with the Catalans for another year before heading to Stamford Bridge and leading them to the Premier League title.
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Players Manchester United have failed to sign under Ed Woodward Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich) Kroos had fallen out of favour under Pep Guardiola and the club made it clear that he was available for transfer. That alerted United, but despite making an official offer for the Germany international, he instead joined Real Madrid in 2014.
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Players Manchester United have failed to sign under Ed Woodward Thiago Alcantara (Barcelona At the same time as their pursuit of Fabregas, United attempted to sign Thiago from Barcelona. The scenario was different in that Thiago had made it clear he was leaving the club after failing to see regular first-team action under the late Tito Vilanova, but the result proved the same as he chose to snub United in order to join Bayern
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Players Manchester United have failed to sign under Ed Woodward Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) After a difficult second season in Spain, Bale’s future was under a degree of uncertainty. Rumours of player unrest and a desire to return to England were denied by Bale, but that didn’t stop United from launching a move for the Wales international. Real stood firm though and Bale remains a Real superstar, having inspired them through the Champions League semi-finals.
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Players Manchester United have failed to sign under Ed Woodward Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) Ronaldo has always expressed his desire to “one day” return to Old Trafford after making his name there. United would certainly welcome him back with open arms, but despite hinting at moves for the Portuguese a deal has never been found and United fans continue to wait for their favourite son to return home.
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Players Manchester United have failed to sign under Ed Woodward Neymar (Barcelona) United made no secret about their pursuit of Neymar last summer, although there is some uncertainty over whether United were serious about their interest or if it was one to appease the fans’ clamour for a big signing. Neymar was unsure about his future at Barcelona due to his concerns over the tax rate in Spain, but United failed to persuade Barcelona to sell and he remains at the Nou Camp.
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Players Manchester United have failed to sign under Ed Woodward Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich) United’s move for Neymar came after they were told in no uncertain terms to stop trying to sign Muller because he wasn’t leaving Bayern Munich. The German was reluctant to leave the Bundesliga champions despite Van Gaal’s interest, and instead of Neymar or Muller, United ended up with Anthony Martial instead.
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Ibrahimovic announced that he would leave PSG earlier this month, declaring: “I came like a king, left like a legend,” after scoring a total of 156 goals in 180 appearances.
The 34-year-old striker capped off his time with the Ligue 1 club by winning French Cup in his final game for the club on Saturday, helping them beat arch-rivals Maseille 2-1.
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