It seems silly now that Zlatan Ibrahimovic, despite his age, was ever doubted when he came to Old Trafford last summer.
Sure, he’d scored a lot of goals in France… but that was France, not the Greatest League In The World™. How was a guy in his mid-thirties ever going to make an impact?
With the season entering the home straight, we can all agree that the Swedish international has more than proved himself. His goals at Wembley on Sunday – his 23rd and 24th of the season – helped Manchester United to overcome Southampton in the EFL Cup Final.
As pointed out by Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News, the goals also mean that he’s matched Cristiano Ronaldo’s tally during his final season in Manchester before moving to Real Madrid.
Another flattering Ibrahimovic stat: he has as many goals as Ronaldo finished on in his last #mufc season. Ronaldo was 24-years-old.
— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) March 1, 2017
Sure, a then-24-year-old Ronaldo did miss the first month of that season following ankle surgery and didn’t quite live up to the form he’d displayed in 2007/2008, but even then, he was regarded as one of the finest players on the planet.
It’s unlikely that Ibrahimovic won’t find a few more goals to add to his haul in the weeks ahead but it’s still unclear if he will remain in Manchester beyond the end of the season. Reports have suggested that he’s hesitant about signing an extension to his current deal until he knows whether of not United will be playing Champions League football in September.
