Zlatan Is Apparently Headed To Manchester United As Part Of Jose Mourinho’s Takeover

The days and weeks following the end of the European league season often see some flurry of activity, but the past few days have been something else.

No sooner had the final whistle blown after extra time in the FA Cup Final, before Manchester United players had even walked up to collect their winners medals, than rumors hit the newswires that José Mourinho was set to be confirmed any day as the new manager at Old Trafford. Louis van Gaal couldn’t even get through his celebratory press conference without being bombarded with questions surrounding his imminent departure.

The rumors have been half-confirmed, at least, as Manchester United made LvG’s departure official earlier today. All that’s left is for Mourinho to enter stage right; that’s expected to happen later this week.

And according to the same rampant rumor mill that brought us this managerial changeover drama comes the first earthshaking move as part of Mourinho’s new regime: Zlatan.

Currently a free agent following the end of his contract at Paris Saint-Germain, Zlatan Ibrahimovi? is reportedly on the cusp of signing a one-year deal with Manchester United. There are suggestions that the deal will include a one-year extension and, bafflingly, a future coaching role.

Apart from United’s ability and willingness to meet his wage demands— said to be in the neighborhood of £300,000 per week after taxes— the managerial change is supposedly a big reason for Zlatan’s move to Old Trafford. The Swedish juggernaut maintains a friendly relationship with Mourinho dating back to their time at Inter together, while a falling out between van Gaal and Zlatan at Ajax made a move to United moot had the personnel change not happened.

Obviously this is all still in the realm of speculation, so take this with a grain of salt. Yet, just as the Summer Solstice is a special time of year when the fabric between our world and the realm of the Fae is thin enough to allow strange denizens to cross over, so too is the start of the summer transfer window a magical time when possibilities abound and anything is possible. Zlatan may just be ready to conquer his final frontier— the Premier League.