Zlatan Ibrahimovic fancies the premier league, but wishes to remain with Barcelona for the time being
Barcelonan striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic admits he would want to play in the premier league one day but maintains his stance of being with the Catalan Giants for some time.
Ibrahimovic joined Barcelona after his transfer from Inter Milan last summer, for a deal of 46-million Euros. It is the second most expensive transfer fee in history. The deal saw Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o move the other way, while defender Maxwell coming along with Zlat. Barcelona recently signed Spanish striker David Villa for a deal worth 45-million Euros, and therefore threatens the Centre Forward spot of the Swede. Ibra has been linked to a move to Manchester City and Chelsea. The striker was modest about the speculations; he wishes to remain with Barcelona for the coming season. Zlatan had an unusual season at Camp Nou last season, where he couldn’t finish on multiple occasions.
The striker scored 21 goals in 41 appearances last season, which is considered to be an average performance at Barcelona. With Messi, Xavi and Iniesta providing inch-perfect passes to the striker, it’s disappointing to score just 21 goals in all competitions. While talking to the local media, the striker stated that he has been linked to various clubs all summer long. The player was happy regarding the interest in him, but still had a four years contract with his current club and therefore wishes to stay put. Zlat claimed Barcelona to be the best team on the planet and is very happy with the club. Ibrahimovic is currently preparing for an international friendly with Scotland on Wednesday and aims to concentrate on international duty.
"I'm very happy to stay here but if clubs are interested in me, I take it as a compliment. It means I'm doing a good job,” stated the 26-year-old Swedish striker.
On the topic of playing in the English premier league, Ibra said that he aimed to play for the premier league in future. The player went on to say that he still has a lot of things to learn and can develop his skills a lot. The striker pointed out the unpredictability of the football world, and claimed that it only takes second for things to change. Swedish coach Erik Hamren is happy with the progress of the 26-year-old at Camp Nou and is looking forward to coach the player in the national team.
Ibra announced international retirement; following Sweden’s inability to qualify for 2010 FIFA World cup but is now back to the national squad in an attempt to bid for EURO 2012. The coach dismissed the mixed reviews of the Swede’s season with Barcelona last year, and claimed that Zlat had an impressive first season with the Catalan Giants. Hamren added that he couldn’t wait for the striker to play in the national team and expected quality, skill and energy when he plays in the friendly against Scotland. On the topic of the player’s return to the national side, the coach admired the striker’s patriotism and wanted to help him as a coach. Hamren added that motivation is very important for any player, and even the best player on the planet can adversely affect the team performance, if he has low motivation. The manager expects the player to do what is best for the national team, and everyone at the Swede outfit is very happy by the return of the player.
Both Scotland and Sweden failed to qualify for World Cup this summer, and look for a boost before the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign. The coach therefore, expected his team to play better and perform with their full potential. The manager added that the match was crucial for both nations, as the rivals are preparing hard to combat the title.
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