Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s move to Manchester United is one of the most intriguing transfers in recent years. In joining up with manager Jose Mourinho, the Swede will in some ways guarantee the club a certain kind of success: The two A-listers offer a major commercial advantage and for Ed Woodward, the business-savvy executive vice-chairman, the free transfer signing is surely a fiscal no-brainer. Ibrahimovic will also help Mourinho reintroduce a winning mentality at the club.
But Ibrahimovic will not be arriving as a mascot. He will by all accounts be the first-choice striker and it is difficult to imagine Mourinho enjoying a successful debut season with a misfiring forward lacking chemistry with his team-mates. As such, much will depend upon how Ibrahimovic will fit into Mourinho’s plans.
Any attempt to answer that question is bound to be somewhat speculative, and much could yet change at Old Trafford, with Woodward still busy bolstering the squad that finished fifth last season. Yet the duo have also been around long enough to make us familiar with their inherent characteristics. They won Serie A together at Internazionale in 2008-09 and, considering Ibrahimovic’s recent evolution and the tactics Mourinho is known to prefer, the chances of another fruitful partnership appear favourable.
Here’s a look at what Ibrahimovic brings to the table, Mourinho’s formation/attacking tendencies and how the manager is likely to set up and build his team around the Swedish striker.
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