TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Report

The on-again, off-again courtship between the LA Galaxy and Zlatan Ibrahimovic has flared hot once more, with ESPNFC reporting on Sunday night that the Swedish superstar striker is close to signing with the founding MLS club.

ESPN analyst Taylor Twellman was the first to break the new Zlatan news, so to speak, via Twitter, and Jeff Carlisle followed up with a more detailed report, citing an anonymous source who called the negotiation process between “Ibra” and the Galaxy “the furthest along it has ever been.”

Keep an eye on @LAGalaxy and @Ibra_official as it has gained some serious legs over the last couple of days. I think a deal gets done. #MLS — Taylor Twellman (@TaylorTwellman) January 29, 2018

Perhaps most strikingly, Carlisle reports that the illustrious Swede would not count as a Designated Player, with LA able to acquire him via Targeted Allocation Money.

The charismatic 36-year-old has been heavily linked to MLS before, most often LA, but injury and circumstance have intervened at various times. The Manchester United frontrunner was reportedly close to signing with the Galaxy a year ago, only to suffer a serious knee injury; he subsequently signed a new one-year contract with the Red Devils last summer and recovered from a torn ACL ahead of schedule.

But he’s made only seven match appearances for Man United this season, limited by a new injury complication, and faces further competition for minutes after MUFC’s recent big-money signing of Alexis Sanchez.

Red Devils manager Jose Mourinho told reporters at a Monday press conference that he’d heard nothing of an Ibrahimovic MLS move, but that he wouldn’t stand in the striker’s way.

“He told me nothing about it. First time I read something about this is was from you, I read from somewhere or saw on some TVchannel, he never mentioned that to me so I don't know,” said Mourinho.

“Zlatan is in last year of his contract. If, if, if – and he said nothing to it to me – but if, if, if that is true and Zlatan wants a future in another club in another country we are here to help and create conditions to help, not to make his life difficult. But the last thing Zlatan told me was he wants to recover totally and help the team.”