Despite speculation linking him with a summer move to Arsenal, Zlatan Ibrahimovic remains at Paris Saint-Germain beyond the end of the transfer window.
The Swedish superstar was the subject of intense deadline-day speculation linking him with a move to the Emirates Stadium [Standard], while he was also rumoured to be heading back to former club AC Milan.
As per the Daily Mail, however, Zlatan admitted that he was never contacted by Arsene Wenger’s side during the summer, but did admit that the Rossoneri were particularly keen to acquire his signature, describing the Lombardy giants as ‘desperate’.
He may be staying at PSG for now, but the former Barcelona frontman surely won’t be at the club for too much longer, having entered the final year of his contract.
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The attacker has brought much star power and glamour to the Parc des Princes, becoming a key figure as the club have established themselves as a global brand and a European force under the guidance and with the investment of Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
Several candidates have been mooted as potential replacements for Zlatan when he eventually does leave the club, with PSG likely keen to replace the 33-year-old with a player of a similar status.
Over the summer, the French giants have been linked with several players as potential ‘Zlatan replacements’ and the new face of the PSG brand and ‘Le Projet’ in the capital.
One such player is Cristiano Ronaldo [talkSPORT], who surely boasts the kind of reputation and star power to appeal to Al-Khelaifi. With the Portuguese star understood to have a strained relationship with Merengues boss Rafael Benitez [ESPN], and with Gareth Bale heavily tipped to become Real’s key man [Telegraph], a switch for Ronaldo could suit all parties.
Less realistic, perhaps, is a switch for Lionel Messi, with Cadena Ser via Le Figaro reporting that PSG are eyeing a super-ambitious move for the Argentine icon. The forward would surely have a transformative effect on the Parisians, but would he be willing—like Victor Valdes and Thiago Alcantara before him—to end a long-standing association with the Catalan heavyweights?
Another Barca star linked to PSG is Neymar [Mundo Deportivo via TF1], who was also the subject of interest from Manchester United during the summer [ESPN].
Finally, Le 10 Sport report that next summer, the capital club may also turn to either Karim Benzema—Ronaldo’s teammate at Real Madrid—or Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero as they look to replace the star power lost when Zlatan does eventually head elsewhere.